Inconvenience
by keep austin wierd
Summary: Bella moved from the forests of Forks to the cacti of Phoenix. Not only that, but she has an annoying neighbor. Her neighbor happens to be a quiet Edward Cullen. Will she be able to break down this green-eyed teenager's wall? COMPLETE! SEQUEL!
1. Chapter 1: Phoenix

**AN: For this story, the updates will be slower. Music ADD will be helping me with the annoying word order and grammar stuff that was in Thanks to the Children. Bella is going to be a little OoC for this story, but I'm going to try to keep the basics of Bella's traits. This whole story will be in Bella's POV. Thanks, Emma**

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Chapter One: Phoenix

The one thing I couldn't get over is how sunny it was. After living my whole life in Forks, Phoenix was simply too bright. Mom and Charlie were helping to unpack the huge moving van but I refused to be any help in this. I left behind the trees and beaches of La Push for the sand and palm trees of Phoenix. I was a teenager and had the right to be grumpy about moving to polar opposites. I sighed and began unpacking everything in my room, which wasn't much. There was a bed, two bookshelves, and a twin bed.

I looked out the window and squinted, trying to make out what my view was like. There was another window directly opposite from mine across the six feet of side yard. There was a cool brick pattern that had a lot of foot holes on the wall, which I stored in the back of my mind for the future. My room is the attic room and is my dream room, except that I don't want it to be in Phoenix. After I was done with my moping, for the time being, I heard Mom's voice from the living room.

"Bella, the neighbors are here to say hi!" I sighed and put on my happy face and trudged down the rickety staircase that leads to the rest of the house. The house is a one story and an attic; the first floor had a master bedroom, a guest room, living room, and kitchen. There was a kindly woman at the bottom of the stairs with straight, shiny brown hair, looking like she just stepped out of a fairy tale.

"Hello, I'm Esme, you must be Bella," she said as I shook her hand. Well, at least our neighbors weren't horrible. "You're in eleventh grade, as your mother tells me. Do you have a ride in the morning?" I shook my head no. "My son Edward is in your grade and can give you a ride tomorrow in the morning."

"Thanks, but I don't want to be in the way," I said, trying to politely squirm out of it.

"Nonsense, Edward would love to help. You can meet him in our driveway at eight, OK?" Esme said. She was so kind and I didn't have another ride, so I merely nodded again. "Great, I'm sure you will get along with him just fine."

"I saw your plants as I came in. How do you keep them so healthy?" Mom said, changing the subject. They talked for nearly an hour, but I couldn't find a way to sneak away, so I just sat it out. As she was leaving, she surprised me with a hug.

"Feel free to come anytime you want to just hang out. I'm glad that Edward has someone his age to hang out with." And with that she was gone. Wow, lay the quilt trips on me why don't you? I escaped to my room, my new hide out. I had a feeling that most of my time will be spent here, under the canopy over my bed. It wasn't a girly canopy, mind you; it was just a plain white one without ornamentation. But it makes me feel like I had my own space so I love it.

I pull out my Mac laptop and plugged it in. I loved my laptop and it held my entire world on it. I liked to write songs, anything. I couldn't play an instrument, but my voice was all I needed. I had all my lyrics saved on this one laptop. This one hunk of metal and plastic held my heart and feelings on it and I wouldn't trade it for anything. But no one knew I could sing except my parents who hear me and I plan to keep it that way.

"Bella, do you mind making dinner tonight?" my dad, Charlie, called from the kitchen.

"Be right there, Charlie!" I called back and sat my laptop on the bed. I called my dad Charlie because he didn't look like a dad, he looked like a Charlie. And that's all anyone ever calls him and it would be weird for him to be called anything else. He doesn't mind that I don't call him dad because he's more of a protective older brother with a lot of power than a dad. I ran downstairs and skidded to a halt in the kitchen, sliding a bit in my socks.

"What can we make with only imperishable food items?" I muttered to myself. Then it came to me: spaghetti. No meat, of course but just plain red sauce would be fine. My family isn't formal about anything when it's just the three of us. I turned on the radio and searched the stations while stirring. I was disappointed with the radio selections, but finally came to one that I could live with. A good mix with stuff that I could sing along to is all that I looked for in a good station.

"Mom, Charlie, supper is ready!" I called down the hallway. I sighed as I poured the pasta into three bowls. I'm only here for another two years and then I can go back to somewhere with real plants instead of just puny cacti.

"Smells great Bells," Charlie said as he sat down. We always talked about random topics during dinner and they never asked stuff like 'How was your day at school?' unless they couldn't help it. We weren't you average family. Mom was very creative, which made her perfect for teaching Kindergarten. Charlie was a small town cop but here in Phoenix he's going to supervise a group of new recruits. Basically, that means a bunch of paper work.

"Did you read the NY Times this morning?" Mom asked. This sparked a huge discussion on what the best form of renewable energy was. I hate to say this, but I joined in. I didn't look like a nerd, with my pale skin and average brown hair and eyes, but on the inside I was. I learned to hide it well outside of the house though. After dinner, I washed the dishes and started to pop some popcorn. The smell of the popcorn was the call to attention. Every night we watched whatever PBS special was on.

"What's on tonight?" Mom asked as Charlie pulled out the TV guide.

"Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice mini-series. The good one, with Colin Firth," Charlie said and covered his ears.

"I absolutely love it! We've got to watch all six hours this time, OK? It's only 5:30 now. Colin Firth looks so hot when he comes out of the pond at Pemberley soaking wet-" Mom said, but Charlie cut her off.

"Dear, I know that you love him, but I don't really want to hear about it. You and Bella talk about it when I'm not around." Charlie was intimidated by anything girl related. Mom just rolled her eyes and focused on the TV. We knew it so well we would jokingly quote our favorite lines and act them out during the commercials. I realized just how lucky I was to have parents like the. I was mad at them for making me move, but I've forgiven them. That doesn't mean that I can't still mope around and pout.

"Mom, I think I'm going to hit the sack. I know what to get you for your birthday next month though," I said a little after ten. I kissed her cheek and went up to my attic get away. I sat down and just started playing with a few melodies for some lyrics I'd written, they were really sad because I wrote them while I was in the middle of packing. I'd just gotten it worked out when a stereo was turned on in the attic room across from mine.

OK, I loved all the music that they played, but I wanted peace and quiet for a bit. I glanced at the clock and saw it was eleven and tomorrow was a school night. Right now they were playing some John Mayer, who I loved, but it was much too loud to be good back ground music. I glanced around my room and saw that my shoe was filled with rocks. My face broke into a mischievous smile as I took a handful of rocks from the shoe and opened my window. I saw that there was a guy who was propped up on a pillow right in front of the window, his expensive stereo right next to him.

I took aim and threw. The rocks clattered against the window, causing him to turn and look at me. Even in the darkness I could make out sparkling green eyes. I mimed turning down the volume and I knew that I looked like an idiot. I watched realization dawn on his face and he reached over and turned it down a bit, but it was still a distraction. I did the hand gesture again and I saw him sigh and kick it down an unnoticeable amount. I just shook my head and decided to fight this mute battle tomorrow. I tried to get to sleep, even though the next song on there was some upbeat P!nk song.

The next morning my alarm rang, making me groan. Summer was over, I guess. The guy had music going as loud as it had been originally last night, but this morning I enjoyed it and even sang along to the ones I knew. I hopped in the shower in the tiny bathroom in the attic, remembering to close the blinds first. No need for some creepy dude with loud music to see me get dressed.

"Bella, breakfast is ready," Mom's voice floated to me as I was in the shower. I sighed and hurried to rinse out my strawberry shampoo. I stood in the doorway of my closet, assessing my wardrobe. I pulled out a pair of jeans that fit me really good and a form fitting T-shirt, just like I wore everyday. I decided that they should just get used to seeing me in that. I threw my hair up into a perfect ponytail. After putting my hair in a pony tail for over ten years, I could do a pretty good one without a brush. It wasn't that I thought my hair looked bad, it was just annoying to have to constantly deal with it.

I ran downstairs and saw what Mom's idea of breakfast was: half a glass of grape juice and a pop tart. "Thanks for setting my breakfast out, Mom," I said when I saw her come into the kitchen in her teaching clothes. She just smiled and kissed me on the cheek. I glanced at the time and saw it was almost eight. Mom followed my eyes to the clock.

"Go honey. I'll see you when you get home and you can vent about everything that's bothering you.' Mom knew me so well. I will just want something complain about, just to blow off steam and fulfill my job as a moody teenager.

"Bye Mom. Tell Charlie when you meet him for lunch that I said good morning," I said as I backed out the front door. I stood in the neighbor's driveway, my back to the house, just looking out at the street.

"You must be Bella," I heard a soft, musical voice behind me say. I jumped before regaining my cool, feeling foolish. I spun around and was met by the laughing green eyes from last night.


	2. Chapter 2: The First Day

Chapter Two: The First Day

"You must be Edward. Maybe you should keep you music down to a reasonable level," I said as I climbed into the silver Volvo idling in the garage that Edward unlocked for us. The car smelled like flowers and mint. I expected an apology or even a witty response, but I heard nothing. I turned to look at him, but he was looking out the windshield while speeding down the street. We sat in silence for almost five minutes before Edward switched on the music and the noise blasted my eardrums.

"Sorry," he mumbled and turned it down to a reasonable amount.

"Are you apologizing for last night or now?" I asked confused. All Edward did was shrug and pull into a parking spot at the school. "Do you talk at all?" I finally asked, a little peeved.

"Yes," Edward said before walking away. Oh wow, he's just so talkative.

"Do you mind showing me where Room 208 is?" I asked as I ran to catch up. Edward pointed up at a window on the second floor before walking to his own class. I sighed and trudged up to the window he pointed at and found it quite easily. It was first period English and the plaque on her desk told me that the teacher was Mrs. Brown. I took a seat directly in the middle of the class. I refuse to look like a teacher's pet or a slacker. As soon as I sat my bag down, the bell rang.

"Good morning class," Mrs. Brown said in a cherry voice. The pixie-like girl next to me smiled warmly and waved at me. And so the first day started. All my other classes were a blur up until lunch. I think it was the smell of food after only having a pop tart this morning that woke me up from my semi-trance. The school here had one of those cool fingerprint scanners at the end of the lunch line. I looked around the cafeteria and saw the girl from English class waving at me from across the room. I walked over and sat down between her and Edward.

"Hi, my name's Alice. What's your name?" Alice asked in a blur of moving lips.

"Um, Bella," I mumbled as I took a sip of my water.

"I love the name Bella, I think it suits you very well. This is my boyfriend Jasper, his twin Rosalie, Rosalie's boyfriend and my brother Emmett, and my cousin Edward," Alice said, introducing everyone at the table. Jasper and Rosalie were both blonde and very attractive. Emmett looked nothing like the short, black-haired Alice. He was huge and muscular with light brown hair. Edward glanced up and smiled slightly at me before going back to eating.

"Don't mind him, he's just quiet. Edward really isn't trying to be rude," Jasper said from across the table. I nodded and took another sip of my water.

"He's my neighbor and gives me a ride to and from school," I said nonchalantly. I swear you would've thought I'd just had a heart attack the way they were staring at me. "What?" I asked self consciously as I squirmed in my seat.

"They're surprised that I associate with anyone besides them. Which I do," Edward said with a glare towards his family. I glanced at his face and saw it was closed off. I only saw the face that everyone else saw, not the face through the window last night. Last night, even in the darkness, it had expressions and his sparkling eyes weren't flat. The rest of lunch passed pleasantly as I found myself liking everyone at the table more and more. I loved the close family atmosphere, even though Edward didn't say much. What he did say, though, let me know that he was very smart even though he didn't flaunt it.

"What's your next class?" Alice said when the warning bell rang. I felt my cheeks flush because I had to pull out my schedule from my bag. I smoothed it out on the table and found next period with my finger.

"AP Biology with Mr. Banner," I recited.

"Me too. I'll walk you," Edward said beside me. I looked at him and smiled. He smiled back and his smile lit up his whole face, making him glow. A couple minutes later I found myself at a lab table with Edward as my partner. All we did was watch a movie explaining what biology was. Yawn. When the bell rang I stood up before the lights came on. Next thing I know, the floor is rushing up to hit me; apparently I tripped over Edward's backpack. Suddenly a hard arm caught me around the waist, so close that looking at the floor made me go cross-eyed.

"You should be more careful next time," Edward said, his voice close to my ear. He helped me up and I straighten out my clothes. I felt twenty-five pairs of eyes on my back so I glanced up, noticing that everyone's eyes were flickering between Edward and me.

"Take a picture, it lasts longer," I muttered under my breath. I was surprise to hear Edward laugh quietly beside me. Finally, Mr. Banner decided it was time to break up this stare fest.

"I'm not writing any tardy passes," he called without looking up from whatever he was doing on his desk. That snapped everyone out of it and they jumped up and out the door.

"Do they always stare at you like that?" I asked Edward as we walked out.

"Whenever I do anything unexpected," Edward said. His voice was always muted and he didn't waste his time with a lot of words. Maybe I just didn't understand what his thought process was. I nodded and walked into my last class: history. I took a seat in the middle, like always. The girl next to me stuck out her hand as I sat down.

"My name is Jessica and I'm also in your Biology class. What's your name?" she said in an annoyingly cheerleader voice. Or maybe I was already biased because of the cheerleading outfit she had on.

"It's Bella," I said as I shook her hand as briefly as was polite before turning back to the board.

"So what's up with you and Edward Cullen?" Jessica said, apparently not taking the hint. I already didn't like her _before_ she took the gossipy attitude. I can already tell who the 'queen bee' of the school was.

"He's my neighbor and his mom volunteered him for giving me a ride in the morning. I just moved here yesterday." I just said the basics to get her off my back. I really don't enjoy her type. I can handle Alice's happy and kind peppiness, but Jessica's hurtful and false peppiness I couldn't.

"Only yesterday, huh? You looked too comfortable in his arms to have only known him such a short period of time." I opened my mouth to respond, but class was already starting. This was by far the longest period of the day. When the last bell rang and I hurried out, this time not tripping before I got out the door.

Out the door, however, was fair game. I tripped over a backpack that a girl with pretty red hair was rummaging through.

"I'm so sorry! Are you OK? My name's Angela, by the way." I liked her already. I looked up and saw her pretty brown eyes and freckled face.

"I'm Bella and fine," I said with a laugh. "I trip over almost everything so it wasn't your fault. I recognize you from somewhere."

"I'm in your second period class. I sit next to you," she said calmly, like she was used to not being noticed.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow. My ride is this way," I said with a smile. I think that Angela and I will get along really well. She waved as she walked toward the buses with the freshman. I smiled again and walked over to the Volvo where Edward was already waiting.

"Took your time, didn't you?" he said with a fake smile that was more insulting than his actual comment.

"Sorry to be such an inconvenience to you," I muttered under my breath, though I hoped he heard. He flipped the music on again and turned it down without me asking. I really listened to the music this time and heard a pretty harmony. I realized that it was Edward singing a beautiful harmony. Well, this is a surprise. I knew he loved music but I didn't know he was musical. When we pulled into his driveway, I got out and walked over to my house without a word.

"How was your day dear?" Mom called from the kitchen. She was already pulling out some cookie dough.

"You know what, I don't think I need the cookie dough this time," I said as I walked up to my room. I threw my bag down and flopped on the bed, pulling out my laptop as I situated the pillows around me. I started writing some lyrics on the virtues of silence. It felt fitting and the more I typed, the more I liked Edward.

"Bella, I'm going to a meeting at school. Charlie won't get back until after seven and I'll be back by eight," Mom said and I heard the door slam after her. It was only about ten minutes later when I heard a knock at the door. I walked down to get it and opened the door to see Esme there, her face framed by the sun at her back.

"Bella, how was your first day at school?" she asked politely and I responded with equal politeness. "I was just wondering if you and your family would like to eat dinner at our house tonight."

"My parents won't be back until later, but I'm sure that they'd love to another time," I said, trying to get out of it and not lie.

"I'm sorry they can't come tonight. You are still welcome, of course." I looked at her and knew she wanted me to come. I nodded, even though I knew that I might regret this later. "Come over anytime you want."

She hugged me, catching me by surprise, before leaving. I sighed and scribbled a note to Charlie. I grabbed a light jacket for later and walked out the door into the warm afternoon.


	3. Chapter 3: Dinner

**AN: I know that it's pretty boring, but I think that it's important. Sorry it took a while to get this update, Emma**

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Chapter Three: Dinner

I knocked on the pretty front door with plants surrounding it. Esme opened the door, the picture of the perfect hostess. Her long hair was up in a neat bun with chopsticks and she had on an apron with an oven mitt in the pocket.

"Bella, come in. You like lasagna, right?" I nodded as she led me through the living room. The whole house looked like Martha Stuart lived in it. It may seem like I'm critical, but I do like Esme. She's just different than my own impulsive mother. The kitchen was all marble and stainless steel. The smell of lasagna hit me hard and it mixed with the heavenly smell of cooking garlic bread.

"Thank you for inviting me to dinner, Esme," I said, remembering my manners.

"It's our pleasure, dear. My husband will be home in about half an hour and dinner will be ready in about forty-five minutes. Edward is upstairs in his room and you're welcome to keep him company." Esme is real good about getting her way in the kindest way possible. It's hard not to like her.

"Are you sure you don't need any help-" I tried.

"No, but thank you honey. The stairs are down the hallway to the left," she said as she cut me off. OK, whatever. I guess I'll go spend some quality time with the quiet, loud-music-listening dude. I smiled and walked on the shiny hardwood floor until I hit the fuzzy carpet of the stairs. The music kept getting louder and louder the closer I got. I walked up to the door and knocked, and I could feel the thumping of the music vibrating the door. The music was turned down a few seconds before the door opened, Edward leaning against the doorframe in his classic T-shirt and jeans.

"Your mom sent me up to keep you company," I said in way of explanation. Edward nodded and motioned me in. His room was amazingly clean. Rows and rows of CDs and books lined the walls. A couch was against one wall while a bed was against another. An expensive and big stereo was by the bed. The room put me at ease immediately. I plopped down on one half of the couch while Edward walked over to turn the stereo up again, though it still stayed at a reasonable level. I noticed that he was listening to the Goo Goo Dolls and smiled. They were on my favorites list on my iTunes.

"You listen to the Goo Goo Dolls?" I asked. I pegged him for more of the death metal or something more sinister, even though I've heard that all his music was the good modern stuff. All I got was a nod. "So you like music?" I asked, resorting to stating the obvious to get some kind of response.

"No, I just listen to it in all my spare time and own hundreds of CDs." Yes, I got a response, I rejoiced in my head. I laughed quietly; surprised that he had a good sense of humor under those flat eyes. I really looked at him again and noticed that he didn't have the sparkle of humor in his eyes that most people have, just a fake smile that was still attractive. Why is this guy so closed off? He's got everything: nice house, nice mother, good music, great family.

"You should talk more." Wait; did I really just say that? Whoops. Well, I can't say that it isn't true. His voice was soft and attractive and what he did say was smart and funny. His face broke into a real smile that took my breath away and I could see a speck of life in his pure green eyes.

"Now you sound like everyone else. Let's make a pact: I'll talk to you but you can't tell anyone else. Deal?" he said, completely taking me by surprise. I reached out and shook his outstretched hand. His hand was warm and soft and molded to mine.

"So, start talking. Why don't you want other people to know that you do talk?" I asked, dying of curiosity.

"Everyone would want me to talk all the time, which I don't want to do. Words mean something and shouldn't be wasted like they were nothing. Words only hold the importance that the listener puts on them. If I told everyone what I was thinking, than they would all know and things loose value when everyone knows. When everyone knows a secret, then telling someone isn't worth anything. From what I've seen of you, you don't waste a lot of words and I like that," Edward said, still talking quietly. Umm wow, that's a lot of depth for a teenager. He reminded me of myself a lot more than I'd admit. His little speech was like the lyrics I'd just been writing.

"Then I guess I'll have to return the favor. I think that we've just started an exclusive club," I said with a smile. "A club where we can waste words and hold a lot of importance in each one."

"Bella, Edward, supper is ready," Esme called up the stairs.

"First meeting will be tomorrow on the way to school. Deal?" Edward said and we shook hands again.

"We really need our own handshake," I said as we walked down the stairs and I put my polite face on again. This time there was a man in the kitchen with Esme who I assumed was Mr. Cullen. When I walked in he turned around and smiled warmly at me.

"You must be Bella, I'm Carlisle. It's very nice to meet you," he said in a voice almost as attractive as Edward's soft voice, but with more confidence. Carlisle was blond and looked like a model. Both Esme and Carlisle looked really young to have a teenage son. I could already tell that they had a great relationship; his arm was around her shoulders and they looked happy just to be close to each other.

"It's nice to meet you too. Thank you both for having me. It smells great," I said. I wasn't used to really fancy meals and felt a little uncomfortable when I noticed that there were two forks at the table. _What the hell am I supposed to do with _two _of them?_

"I love to cook and have company. Have a seat," Esme said as she pushed me into a chair with Edward, mysteriously, next to me. I met his eyes and he rolled them, knowing what his mother was up to. They said the blessing like a proper family before eating and I noticed that they talked about school and work during dinner. Everything about this family threw me out of my comfort zone. There wasn't anything wrong with the way they lived, but it was just totally different than my house.

"Bella how was your first day here in Phoenix?" Carlisle asked me while he ate his lasagna with the big fork. Wait, you're supposed to use the big fork for the main part? I blushed lightly and switched forks quickly.

"It was fine. Nothing much happened today." I had zero experience dealing with normal family conversations so I tried to make a classic brush-off comment.

"Bella met Alice and the whole crew today," Edward said for me, breaking the pause after my awkward answer. I shot a grateful smile at Edward as Esme's smile stretched from ear to ear.

"I'm so glad that you met everyone today. They will be a great help while you're trying to navigate the school. All of them are great kids," Esme said. It sounded like she was trying to sell them to me. I smiled at her and nodded before going back to my lasagna. I was trying to eat with all the manners that I picked up at Grandma Swan's house growing up but I think I dropped a lot of bread crumbs on the nice cloth napkin that I miraculously remembered to put in my lap.

"Carlisle, what do you do for a living?" I asked lightly to break a second pause.

"I'm a doctor in the hospital a few blocks away." After I asked that I mentally hit myself. He was in scrubs.

"The proximity to a hospital is one of the attractions to this neighborhood, especially for me," I said and they just looked at me questionably. "I'm accident prone and I knew all the nurses on a first name basis."

"Ah yes, there are always a few," Carlisle said understandingly. Maybe I'm not alone after all.

"I'm sure that you'll see me there pretty soon. At least by the end of the month," I said and finally got the laugh I was originally looking for. Better late then never, I guess. After desert (apple pie that was to die for), I stood up to leave.

"Edward, walk Bella home please," Esme said. She wasn't even trying to be subtle at this point. Edward shrugged and I grabbed my jacket and slid it on. After hugging Esme and shaking Carlisle hand, Edward and I slipped out.

"Sorry about Mom, she just thinks I'm lonely," Edward said in his signature softness. I shrugged and smiled up at him.

"It's fine, I understand. If it wasn't your mother it would be mine and that would be embarrassing for _me_." Edward laughed and the sheer beauty and sadness of it made me want to cry and laugh at the same time. By that time we were at me door, under the porch light. I looked up and I was ecstatic to see life in his eyes again. Then it hit me just how uncomfortable it was.

"Good night," Edward whispered.

"Good night," was my brilliant come back. He stuck his hand out and I took it. It was a lot less awkward than I thought it would be because it didn't feel formal with Edward. It felt like I was just reinstating a trust agreement that had nothing to do with business. Eventually he let go and I blushed, not realizing I'd kept hold of his hand. I slipped inside and was shocked to see that Mom was home already. I simply hadn't realized it was that late. I was slightly upset to see that Mom's hair was a little disheveled and the curtain was open a crack more than it was this afternoon.

"Hello Mom, so glad that you don't spy on me like most overprotective mothers," I said as I walked into the kitchen where she was putting leftovers into the microwave.

"How was dinner at the Cullen's?" she asked like she hadn't heard my earlier comment.

"It was a lot of fun. I've got studying to do, so I'll see you in the morning," I said as I kissed her on the cheek and ran up the stairs and crashed on the bed, my head spinning in an endless circle of questions that I didn't think had answers.


	4. Chapter 4: The First Meetings

Chapter Four: The First Meetings

I woke up to the morning sun streaming through my window. I reached over to my alarm clock and shut it off. I groaned and turned away from the light and into my pillow. I heard a stereo from the next house and was about to get mad until last night came back to me in a rush and I sat up so quickly I got dizzy.

"Ouch," I muttered as I sat up slower this time. I got up and changed as quickly as I could in my usual jeans and T-shirt. "Mom, do you have breakfast for me this morning?" I called as I jumped down the last of the stairs.

"Sorry honey, I overslept," I heard Mom's muffled voice from her room. Oh, I don't know if I can handle opening the pop tarts by myself. It's not much, but Mom always did it when she could. It was the only meal that she could 'cook' seeing as I always made dinner. After scarfing down a pop tart and chugging a glass of orange juice, I grabbed my backpack and yelled a good bye over my shoulder. I walked out into the warm morning air. I already knew that today would be a scorcher. I was lost in my own world so much that I didn't hear anyone walk up behind me.

"Good morning Bella," a voice said directly in my ear. I jumped and I heard an unmistakable laugh. I turned and saw Edward cracking up but tried to hold it back when he saw my glare.

"Ha ha, good morning to you too," I said as I climbed in the Volvo. This time I flipped on the radio and kept it at just the right volume so we could still talk and started humming along to a Secondhand Serenade CD.

"What did you dream about last night?" Edward said as he pulled out. Um, OK whatever.

"I dreamed that I was Juno's friend from the movie and I was talking about my crush on all the teachers here in Phoenix. Why do you ask?" I asked seriously. Edward lost it and I followed soon after.

"You know that I can hear you when you talk in your sleep, right?" I looked at him with a look of pure horror. "You leave your window open when you sleep and you talk pretty loud. That was one of the many reasons I've decided to grace you with my numerous thoughts." It was true that whenever I'm in my room I have the window open, but still.

"So what did I say last night that made you ask?" I asked him, wondering how much damage I'd caused and what I'd said that made him so curious.

"Something along the lines of 'if I were lesbian, I'd date Mrs. Brown.'" I cracked up, knowing exactly where that was in my dream.

"I'm sorry you have to hear those. I really don't know what I say when I'm asleep and usually I don't remember my dreams so I don't have a clue where the lines come from. What did you dream about?" I asked, ready to stop babbling and turn the spotlight.

"I…don't remember." He blushed a very manly blush (I didn't think that was possible) and I knew that he was lying. OK, this is not fair. He knows what I dream about and even hears them in real time but he won't even give me a short summary of _one_ dream.

"Come on, I won't laugh. I know that you remember." He merely shook his head and busied himself with putting in a Coldplay CD while returning the Secondhand Serenade CD back in its case. The familiar sound of one of my favorite CDs made me hum along before I shook myself back into reality. "Good try, but I still want to know what your dream was about."

"Umm, you." Whoa, not prepared for that. Edward parked and was already climbing out before I could scramble after him.

"So I'll see you at lunch," I said as I caught up. He flashed me a self-conscious smile and nodded his head before walking off to his own class. I walked to my own class, caught in wonderings and more questions I can't answer. I dropped my bag at my seat and Alice started talking at high speed.

"Bella you need to wear more than jeans and a T-shirt. We'll go shopping this weekend. Wait, I think that Rose and I'll come over to your house after we go shopping and we can get you to try on all the clothes that we got. That sounds OK?" I nodded weakly and Alice squealed. Wait, what did I just agree to?

"So Rose and I'll drop by your house around one on Saturday?" Alice said. She looked so happy and I wouldn't mind some time with the girls so I just nodded again. Then the first bell rang and the rest of the period was just one big blur. The bell cut off Mrs. Brown mid-sentence an hour later and I rushed out to second period. I smiled when I remembered that Angela was in this class.

"Hey Angela," I smiled at her as she sat down next to me. Angela looked up at me, surprised that I'd said anything to her. "Why don't you sit with me at lunch today?"

"Me? Why?" she spluttered and I just smiled even wider.

"Why not? It'll be fun, just look for the Cullen's and I'll be sitting with them." With that, class started. In all honesty, I don't think that I was mentally there for the rest of the morning. Until the lunch bell, that is. At the prospects of seeing Edward again, I walked faster.

"Hey Bella," Edward said right behind me as I walked in the door. We went through the line in silence. I guess Edward wanted to keep up his whole 'silent guy' façade but it could be that he was still embarrassed. At any rate, I was still confused about his confession and glad that I didn't have to deal with that quite yet. We made our way to the table and this time Edward sat next to Alice and I sat next to him, making sure that there was an empty seat for Angela.

"Umm, can I sit here?" a shy voice asked from my shoulder.

"Of course you can," I smiled as Angela tentatively took a seat.

"You're Angela, right? I loved all the articles that you have in the newspaper," Jasper said from across the table. I smiled triumphantly, watching as Angela was welcomed like I had been yesterday. Was it only yesterday?

"That was very nice for you to do," Edward whispered in my ear so nobody else could hear. I looked up and shrugged. I looked up and noticed that everyone except Jasper and Angela were staring at us. I blushed and started eating. The conversation was joking and easy all through lunch. Angela started to break out of her shell a bit.

"Let's get to class," Edward said softly as we all stood up. Angela stopped us as we were walking out.

"Bella, thank you. Do you mind if I sit with you tomorrow?" Angela needed to be surer of herself. She didn't think enough of herself and didn't realize how good she really was.

"It's an open invitation. Everyone really likes you and they should," I said and hugged her lightly. I started walking again and I glanced back only to see the biggest smile I've ever seen. It was so bright I swear her beautiful red hair looked like it was on fire. Edward and I kept walking and our arms bumped each other often as we walked. Each touch sent a small shock up my arm through my elbow. I hated and loved the effect he had on me all at once. Of course everyone stared at us as we walked into AP Biology.

"What was the worst movie that you've ever seen?" Edward asked me under his breath as we sat down at our table. Now I had to think about this one.

"I think it has to be Transformers. I understand why some people love it, but it's totally not for me," I said. I looked up and got a glance at the expression on his face.

"How can you not like the huge fight scene at the end?" Edward asked incredulously. I just shrugged because class had already started. Maybe I just didn't watch all that many movies and hadn't hit the truly bad movies. I couldn't focus all during the period because Edward's leg was bouncing up and down against mine. Totally distracting and would've been annoying if it wasn't him. I stood up at the end of the period and noticed that my leg had been numbed which made me stumble. I reached out and steadied myself against Edward's shoulder.

"Easy there greasy," I muttered to myself under my breath. That was a saying that Grandpa Swan had said often and it rubbed off on Charlie. And me too, apparently.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Edward said so that I alone could hear him, like always.

"That's what my dad always says when I trip or do a classic Bella move," I explained as I walked through the crowded hallways. Edward waved to me as I stepped into my last class. I sat down and was soon followed by Jessica.

"Oh my gosh! Did you see how he walked you to class? That was so sweet but I think he should've carried your books too. That's just so romantic," Jessica babbled like we were friends. As soon as I thought that, I caught myself. That was a little too harsh, but still so true.

"It's not like that with us. Besides, I didn't have any books for him to carry." That made her think and shut her up, for today at least. I blinked and the class was over. I mentally wiped my forehead dramatically as I stood up. I walked as fast as I could to the Volvo and even beat Edward.

"Took you long enough," I teased as he unlocked the door and we both threw our bags on the floorboard in the back before buckling our seats.

"Sorry to be such an inconvenience to you," he said, quoting my words from yesterday. I guess he did hear me after all.

"What is your favorite show on NPR?" I asked, seeing as it was my turn to do the questioning.

"It'll have to be Car Talk. But what about you?" he said, turning the tables on me. I was glad that he listened to NPR as well as good music.

"Car Talk is all right, but Wait Wait Don't Tell Me is just a bit better. I think it's funnier too," I explained. Edward merely turned on the radio again, which was still on Coldplay, and made the harmony with his voice again. This silence wasn't like the silence yesterday because it was a lot more comforting. When there is companionship in silence, then you must really know the person or mesh well. I guess you could say that we mesh; I thought as I closed my eyes and opened the window. I let the wind on my face and Edward's perfect harmonies wash away everything else.


	5. Chapter 5: Afternoon Meeting

**AN: I'd just like to say thank you to Music ADD for going through all of my stupid mistakes for me. Appreciate it ;), Emma**

* * *

Chapter Five: Afternoon Meeting

"Bella!" I heard Edward call behind me as I started walking towards my house. I turned back to face him. "Do you have a lot of homework tonight?"

"Nope, I guess they decided that the first week is sacred and it should be devoid of homework. If only they would realize the same about Christmas break," I said and Edward laughed at my comment.

"Then come hang out at my house," he said. I was caught by surprise, wondering why. I merely nodded and followed him into the foyer. "Mom would prefer it if you took off your shoes and left your bag here." I did as he instructed, dropping it all by the door and following him in my socks to the kitchen. Edward dug around the cabinets until he found some chips and Dr. Pepper.

"Dr. Pepper is my favorite too," I said as I followed him up to his attic room. "Where's Esme?"

"Mom's at work. She's a social worker and doesn't get off for another hour or so." I could've guessed she was a social worker if I hadn't been so sure that she was a housewife. Maybe she works really hard to keep the house clean in her spare time. "What do your parents do? I don't think you told me yet."

"Mom is a Kindergarten teacher and Charlie trains new recruits to the police force." I saw his dumbfounded expression and cracked up. "You seem shocked that not everyone's families are like yours," I remarked.

"No, I just didn't peg your family right. Why did you call your dad Charlie?" I shrugged because there was no explanation that made a lot of sense. I stood up and perused, treating his room like a CD store and trying to decide what I wanted to sample. I finally decided on a Matchbox Twenty CD and turned to Edward with a dorky smile on my face.

"Whatever, this is one of my favorites anyways," he muttered and put it on faster than I could follow. Apparently he was very practiced at the art of CD-case-opening. As I started listening, I realized that I knew most of the songs on the CD. I kept looking around the room and found all kinds of music. I thought I was seeing things when I saw a Britney Spears CD in between the usual good stuff. I blinked and looked again. Nope, there it was.

"Umm, I didn't buy that one," Edward said before I could say anything.

"Mhm, of course not," I said in a tone of blatant disbelief.

"No really, Alice bought it for me last year for Christmas and would've known if I'd thrown it out," Edward said as fast as he could to explain himself.

"Uh huh, I'm sure that's exactly what it looks like. She even unwrapped the CD and opened it for you too." I watched his face morph into a look of absolute embarrassment. I smirked and kept moving on; deciding that I'd tormented him enough. I have a feeling that he'll be checking his collection for anymore possibly shaming CDs.

"You know you have a pretty singing voice," Edward said, his voice breaking through my concentration. I spun on my heels and found that he was closer to me than I'd expected and I tripped. He caught me and righted me again.

"When have you heard me sing?" Whoa, stalker-ish, just a bit.

"I already told you that I can hear your sleep talking. Why would you think that I can't also hear you when you're awake?" Damn him and his impeccable logic.

"Well, I just didn't ex…expect you to be listening," I said haltingly with a few stutters.

"I've been meaning to ask you something though. I didn't recognize any of the songs I heard you sing. What were they?" I blushed to my hair line and turned back to the rack of CDs. "Come on Bella, you've got to tell me. Remember your words from this morning?" Why does this guy always have to make sense?

"Well, umm…I wrote them," I said as quietly as possible, hoping he couldn't hear me.

"Seriously? They were _really_ good Bella. Do you have any music to go with it?" I shook my head but didn't turn around, still trying to hide my blush. I can't believe someone found out. That was supposed to be a secret. _Well,_ I thought, _we are supposed to tell secrets in this club of ours. _"I can do that for you, if you want."

"Really?" I asked, suddenly excited. I felt my embarrassment sink away as I turned around. I'd always loved to see my words as full blown song and now I can. I threw my arms around his neck without thinking. My body froze and my heart thudded to a stop. It picked up again ten-fold when Edward laughed and wrapped his arms around my waist lightly. He was warm and his scent was heavenly. I felt inexpressively at ease and at home in his arms.

"Yes, really. I have a keyboard and can mix things pretty well on the computer, if I do say so myself." As soon as he finished, the door opened and Esme walked in.

"Edw- oh. Hello Bella, how are you?" Esme said, recovering her surprise nicely. I jumped away from Edward and blushed as deeply as a red rose. Esme tried to hide her smug smile but I still saw it. This was probably what she'd wanted all along anyways.

"It was fine, Esme. Sorry to impose upon you when you just got home from work," I said, covering up my embarrassment with extreme politeness. I've learned that I was never good under pressure the hard way: experience.

"Dear, our home is your home. I _love_ that you're here. Edward, make sure your homework is done," Esme said before leaving. As she shut the door, I saw a wide, smug smile spread across her face and the sound of her feet on the stairs where light and uneven, like she was dancing instead of walking. Well, glad to know I made her day.

"Can you really do the music for my songs?" I asked, trying to get over the embarrassment and get back to the whole reason for my excitement.

"Yep. You could bring some over now, if you want. I did all my homework in class today," he suggested.

"Sure, I don't mind. By the way, would you let me see your biology?" I asked, not really looking forward to the reading that was easy but time consuming. Edward laughed and nodded before bending down to his backpack. "I'll be right back."

"Wait, you don't have to do that. Hold on a sec," Edward said. He bent down next to the windowsill and pulled up a long, wide board that had been flat up against the wall. Resting one end on his windowsill, he stretched the board across so that it met my windowsill. "Climb across and your window is cracked so you can pull it up without having to unlock it."

"Umm, why do you know how to get into my bedroom?" I asked suspiciously and Edward started laughing. "No really, why do you know how?"

"When the house was empty, I'd climb across and just chill. There's more space in your room than in mine." OK, I can swallow that one, even if it is a lie. _Well, it won't be _that_ far of a fall, _I thought as I threw my legs over the windowsill. Edward's steadying hands at my waist didn't help the whole concentrate-so-I-don't-fall concept. I climbed as fast as possible so that before I knew it, I was standing in my room. I grabbed my laptop and shut my eyes (metaphorically), and was in Edward's room before I knew it. Even though I didn't need it, Edward still put his hands on my waist when I got back.

"Hey, that's pretty handy," I said when I pulled away to flop on his couch. Edward sat down close to me with the excuse to see the screen better. I hesitated over the mouse before opening all my private thoughts.

"What's wrong?" Edward said, picking up my hesitation.

"You know that you're the only one who's ever seen these, right?" I said in way of explanation as I surfed through my dozens of songs, trying to pick the right one.

"Well then, I'm honored," Edward said solemnly with a flourish. I cracked up and finally decided on one. When I looked out the window, I saw that the sun was down and it was probably time to get home. I got his e-mail and sent the lyrics to him to work with, if he wanted to. He handed me his Biology and told me to make sure I gave it back to him this morning.

"Walk me?" I asked as I slipped on my shoes at the door. Edward nodded just as Esme walked into the foyer.

"You're leaving already?" she said, clearly disappointed.

"I've taken enough of your time and hospitality this afternoon," I said with a smile. Esme hugged me before pushing us out of the house. "Think your mom likes me?" I said sarcastically once we were out the door.

"I think she's already planned the rest of our lives," Edward said with a grimace. "I saw her looking at baby names on the internet this morning."

"Oh jeez, sorry," I said. We were right outside my door and Edward didn't hesitate to lean down and hug me, his scent overwhelming. Before I had time to respond, he kissed me on the cheek quickly. After that, I couldn't react.

"See you tomorrow, Bella," Edward said in his signature softness that he picked up as soon as we weren't alone. I was sad to see that it had come back. I opened the door and shut it, leaning my back against it and breathing faster than normal.

"Bella, you OK?" I heard Charlie call from the kitchen. Wait…the kitchen?

"Yeah Charlie, I'm just dandy. What are you doing in the kitchen?" I asked, my voice a little alarmed. I walked in and saw Charlie trying to peel a carrot and nearly peeling his skin instead of the carrot. "Charlie, I think you should let me do it."

"I think that's a good idea," he said as he took a seat at the table. "Where were you this afternoon, Bells?"

"Umm, over at the Cullen's," I said quickly and keeping my head turned so he couldn't see my face.

"You seemed awfully comfortable with that Cullen boy when he walked you home. Just know I'll be keeping an eye on him," Charlie said warningly and I blushed. Keeping an eye on him, my arse. Change that to looking up his record, all the way down to the dental records.


	6. Chapter 6: Madly in Like

Chapter Six: Madly in Like

After dinner I was lying in bed, staring at the screen of my computer. I was blankly looking at the screen while thinking. It was one black-and-white blur to my eyes. I couldn't seem to forget Edward's kiss. Yes, I know that it was only on the cheek, but can you blame me? Just thinking about it made my cheek burn where his lips touched and just remembering his aroma made my head swim. And of course the current of the water was flowing right towards thoughts of Edward.

I sighed and my mind wandered to the board that was still in the window. There was still a small desk lamp was on in his room so I knew that he wasn't asleep yet. Some of my atoms were already leaning toward the window when I shook myself. I can't just climb over into his bedroom in the middle of the night. _No matter how bad I want to, _part of my mind said yearningly. _Stop this_, I told myself and shut off my computer which cast the whole room in darkness.

I could see the light in Edward's room even clearer in the new darkness. I flopped back on my pillows, exasperated with myself. What is it about this guy that makes it seem like he bought an address in my mind? _Could it be his scent? Or maybe his eyes, voice, warmth, hard arms, comforting atmosphere, soft lips?_ that traitorous part of me asked again. _Ugh. Again, not helping,_ I had to say to myself, shutting down that part of the brain for now.I may not love him yet, but one thing is for sure:

I am madly in like with Edward Cullen.

* * *

The next morning, I woke up to my alarm clock beeping in my ear. I switched it off and stood up before I could go back to sleep. I looked out the window and saw…Oh my gosh, when does Edward find time to get abs like that? Edward was changing T-shirts in his room and…OH MY GOSH!

_No, bad Bella, very very bad!_ the good part of me was screaming. The other part of me was too numb to put up a fight so I turned around and walked into my bathroom. I brushed my teeth slowly while trying to clear my head. Once I realized that it was useless, I changed quickly before running down the stairs, my backpack in tow.

"You in a rush this morning?" Mom said as I skipped into the kitchen. I poured myself a glass of orange juice as Mom finished unwrapping my pop tart.

"No, why would I be in a rush this morning?" I asked in a hurry…oh, that might be why she thought I was in a rush.

"You know, Charlie told me about what he saw when Edward walked you home last night," she said. I think that she was _trying _to make me blush. Mission accomplished, mother. "You being in a hurry this morning doesn't have anything to do with that Cullen boy, does it?" I think that's his new title: 'Edward, that Cullen boy.'

"Mom, chill out," I said, not really wanting to elaborate. I stood up and wrapped the remaining half of my pop tart with napkins before slipping it in my pocket.

"I'm just worried about you. Do we…need to have a talk?" I choked on the last bit of orange juice that I was chugging.

"Umm, I think I'll come to you if I need to, OK?" I asked as I walked out, grabbing my backpack on the way.

"If you're sure, honey. I'll be home when you get home," Mom said a little uncertainly. I walked out into the morning and looked around for the first time. I spotted Edward watching me in the shadows near the garage.

"So that's how you sneak up on me in the mornings," I said as I walked into the garage and plopped into the front seat of the Volvo.

"Maybe you should be more observant of your surroundings."

"Maybe you shouldn't hide in shadows and then surprise people." Oh, brilliant response, O Wise One.

"Maybe you wouldn't be surprised if you had paid attention." I decided that I didn't want to crush his self esteem by beating him with my emotional and confusingly backed statements. I switched on the radio and heard the Matchbox Twenty CD I'd been looking at yesterday.

"I, umm, saw you looking at it yesterday," Edward said over the radio. "You really have a knack for capturing emotions into songs, by the way. I think I've got a pretty good rough draft but this afternoon you can listen to it and tell me if it's what you imagined it to be like." By now we were in the parking lot of the high school and Edward was turning off the engine. I climbed out and threw my arms around him excitedly.

"Really? Do you have it on a CD? Because if you do we can listen to it at my house today," I said quickly, my voice higher with excitement. Edward chuckled in my ear softly so that no one else could hear.

"Yes really, I do have it burnt on a CD in my backpack, and I'd loved to listen to it at your house." I smiled and made myself pull away from him after taking one more sniff of him. My memory didn't do him justice last night.

"Sorry, but you don't know how insanely happy I am that I to get to hear my words as real songs," I said as I grabbed my backpack from the floorboard of the Volvo. "And I'm sorry I just blew your cover. Now people know that it's possible for you to be social."

"Dang it. You ruined my whole image. Now I have to start from the rubble of its former glory," he said laughingly as he turned to walk towards his own class. To my dismay, his half of the conversation was muted. I shouldn't have expected to change him so quickly when his own parents can't get him to open up, but I'd hoped.

"Alice, I can't believe you bought Edward a Britney Spear's CD," I said as I sat down in first period. Alice turned to me and looked confused.

"Two things: one I didn't buy him a Britney Spear's CD and two how do you know he has a Britney Spear's CD?"

"I was looking through all the CDs he had and he said that you got it for him," I said, totally confused.

"He never lets anyone even _look _at his CDs. But he let you see them, didn't he?" I nodded, still a little lost while Alice broke into a hyper smile (I didn't even know that smiles could look hyper, but I didn't know anyone other Alice who was likely to be able to do it). "This is huge. Does he talk?"

I was saved responding by the bell. According the Laws of the Club, I'm not supposed to tell anyone that he can talk louder than a whisper. The rest of the morning was a blur apart from a small conversation with a noticeably happier Angela. Edward met me at the door of my last class before lunch and the fuzz over my mind cleared away like one of those pet hair removing rollers just ran over it.

"How'd you get here so fast? Weren't you supposed to be in class?" I asked as we walked.

"I will never reveal _all _of my secrets," Edward told me. To the casual observer, it didn't look like we were talking at all. We walked the rest of the way in silence. We sat the same way as yesterday and I was so happy that Angela didn't ask to sit down today. Edward and I walked to Biology after lunch, still in silence. As soon as we took our seats, however, the silence was broken.

"According to Alice, she didn't buy you a Britney Spear's CD," I said casually, like I wouldn't laugh at him. I watched the back of his ears turn red and he became flustered.

"OK, I bought it." He mumbled so low I almost thought I hadn't heard him.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" I said, trying my hardest not to sound like I was mocking him.

"Alice didn't buy it, I did. And if another human soul hears about this, just remember: I know where you live," he said, trying to look stern. I cracked up, but I truly tried my hardest to hide it from him. The teacher finally called the class to order and I could've sworn that I heard Edward mutter 'thank God', but maybe I was imagining things. Today was a lecture day, which meant it was boring, right? Wrong. Edward's leg wasn't bouncing today; it was just touching my leg. Once he went to put his hand on his leg and it accidentally touched my thigh. Every time his arm hit mine, I felt an electric current flow between us that sent shocks around my whole body. A couple times he leaned over to look at my notes (I really did try to pay attention) and his scent stunned me momentarily.

"Bella, class is over," Edward whispered, shocking me from my thoughts. I looked around and saw that everyone was standing up and I scrambled to my feet. As soon as Edward left me in the doorway of my last class, I was in that fuzzy state again until I saw him waiting outside for me. I smiled up at him before calling a 'hello' to Angela as we walked (in silence, as usual).

"How was your day?" Edward asked as we climbed into the Volvo.

"It's over, let it rest," I said as I sighed and leaned my head against the back of the seat. I heard Edward laugh before he turned the music up and hummed a bit. A few minutes of just the music and Edward's voice restored a deep sense of calm so that, by the time I got out of the car, I was at total peace. Edward started to walk to his house before I could call him back. "Edward, my house, remember?"

"Oh, are you sure?" Edward asked, a little unsure.

"Of course, I'm over at your house all the time," I said as I walked through the door, Edward right behind me. I started to head up the stairs before I hear Mom's voice.

"Bella, is that you?" she called from the kitchen. Crap, I forgot she'd be home.

"Umm, yeah Mom. I'm just heading up to my room." _Let me go, let me go, let me…_

"Come in here for a second," she called and I realized it was over. Edward followed me into the kitchen hesitantly. "Bella, who's this?" she asked sharply.

"This is Edward Cullen, Mom. Edward, this is my mom Renee." That over I watched them shake hands and Edward charm her with his smile. Edward had Mom in the palm of his hand within seconds. One parent down, one more to go. Let's hope Charlie will leave his gun in the office when they meet.


	7. Chapter 7: Van Gough

**AN: My baby dies. Well, my computer anyways. I lost half the chapter and had to re-type it all on my parents laptop, so that's why it took so long. I just wanted to say thanks again to Music ADD for dealing with my 'no duh' moments. Emma**

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Chapter Seven: Van Gough

"Nice view," Edward commented when he saw the direct view into his bedroom. I shrugged, pretending that I hadn't noticed. I plopped on the bed with my back against the wall. I felt the bed sink as Edward took a seat next to me and copied my posture while I reached for my Mac. I pulled up the lyrics that I'd sent to him and took the CD off Edward's finger before sticking it in the laptop.

"I can't believe you did this for me," I said, trying to make the gratitude obvious in my voice. All thoughts left my head as I began listening to the different sounds. I could see exactly where my words went. The mood of the lyrics was captured artfully and I felt the sounds drown out everything. The chords and some notes that I couldn't quite figure out where they came from morphed together so that it was hard to tell that all this was done electronically. I almost didn't notice that Edward slipped his arm around my waist. Almost. I felt the rhythm of my heart start to match the beat of the song. On the last note, I could hear my voice making a harmony.

"Did you like it?" I heard him ask nervously. I was increasingly aware of his arm around me.

"Are you serious? That was perfect and just what I'd been imagining. I can't believe you did that just last night," I said in one breathe.

"I'm glad you like it," he said quietly and gave my waist a squeeze. We sat in silence for a really long time. At some point I put my head on his shoulder and sank into his warm embrace. Out of nowhere, Charlie walks in.

"Bella, we're ordering pizza for supper. What kind do you want?" he asked sharply. I distance myself from Edward quickly and jump up. Edward stood up beside me, looking like the perfect gentleman.

"Hello Mr. Swan, I'm Edward Cullen." Edward stuck out a hand that Charlie shook reluctantly.

"Yes, well, I'd like you to stay for dinner tonight." Whoa, totally not expected. Edward nodded and politely expected. Before I knew it, Charlie was gone, leaving the door wide open. I sighed and collapsed back onto the bed.

"Are you OK?" I heard Edward ask as he began stroking my hair. I just nodded into the pillow. "Do you not want me to stay for dinner?"

"That's not it. I'm just nervous about whether my parents will like you or not." That would've come out uncomforting if it had been anyone else, but Edward knew what I meant.

"Most people like me, so don't worry. Everything is going to be fine," Edward replied soothingly and I relaxed. I heard my name being called from downstairs and I groaned as I stood up. Edward took my hand and squeezed it gently. He let it go at the bottom of the stairs and I instantly missed it.

"Edward, thank you for staying with us for supper. Sorry that this isn't a proper meal," Mom said as we sat down in the living room; Mom, Charlie, and Edward on the sofa with me on the floor and leaning against Edward's legs. We watched a show about Van Gough while we ate our pizza. Apparently, there is no proof that he gave part of his ear to his girlfriend. If you think about it, who would date Van Gough? The dude was crazy.

"I'm sorry, but I need to head home and wrap up some homework." I glanced up at the clock and saw it was almost nine. I stood up with him.

"I'll walk you home," I said quickly, pulling him towards the door. Edward said his thanks and goodbye's to my parents, who both were impressed with his knowledge of Van Gough and art.

"Thanks for having me over," he said as we were walking across his driveway and his arm snaking across my waist.

"Well, then thank you for making me music," I retaliated. We had reached his front door by that point.

"I had a good time," Edward whispered. He kept taking small steps forward, forcing me back against the brick wall by the door. He put his hands on both sides of my shoulders and leaned in. My heart started pounding and I could feel the blood rushing behind my ears. Inches from my mouth, he veered up to my forehead and pressed his soft lips to my forehead. "Goodnight, Bella," he whispered walking into his house, leaving me breathless outside his front door and leaning on a wall.

He's such a tease. I waited a few seconds before walking slowly towards my own home, pausing outside to make sure that my cheeks had lost their flush. I walked in to see Mom and Charlie talking among themselves.

"…I'm not sure that it's such a great idea that he lives so close," Charlie said protectively.

"Calm down, they are happy together and I think we can trust him…" Mom said but stopped abruptly when she noticed me standing there. "Did you have a good afternoon?" Mom asked innocently.

"Yes mother, I had a very good afternoon," I said to please her. I saw her fight a smile and I walked up the stairs to my attic bedroom. I sat on my bed and pulled out my Mac. I smiled when I saw that Edward was online right now. I flipped over on my stomach and pulled a pillow under my stomach. I paused as I took in a deep breath, taking in Edward's scent that still lingered on the cotton. I started to IM Edward, even though it made me feel pretty needy.

Bella: hey, what's up?

Edward: just listening to music and doing some homework. U?

Bella: IMing you

Edward: then I guess I'm IMing you

Bella: I'm bored, entertain me

Edward: listen to the track on the CD I made you and look for _The Adam's Family_ theme song

I pulled up the window that had the music on it and pressed play. This time, I could hear the theme song. Bududuh (snap, snap), Bududuh (snap, snap), Bududuh Bududuh Bududuh (snap, snap). Now that I was looking for it, I heard the notes mixed all through out the music in random places that, surprisingly, didn't disrupt anything. There weren't any of the snaps in there, but they wouldn't have worked with the mood of the words anyways.

Bella: good job. I would've never noticed it was there

Edward: most people don't notice it even if it's pointed out. You must be musically inclined

Bella: I played percussion in band for two years and that's it

Edward: mom calls. See you tomorrow

Bella: yeah, see you

I closed my Mac but didn't move from my position. My eyes landed on Edward's hoodie lying on the floor. It was a warm day so he took it off and apparently forgot it. I slunk off the bed, threw it on, and collapsed back on the bed. His scent surrounded me and I started breathing deeply. It was a sweet smell with a spicy undercurrent, like apple cider. Except Edward's scent was a lot…colder than apple cider. And I fell asleep like this, his smell permeating my dreams.

The shrill beeping of the alarm clock woke me from my dreams. I groaned and rolled over, but flipped back quickly when I heard a rock on my window. I glanced up and saw Edward standing in his window in boxers and a white T-shirt. I saw his lips form the words 'get up'. I made a big show of standing up and bowing. I saw his smirk as he took in his hoodie. I blushed and walked into the bathroom, changing quickly into jeans and a T-shirt before sliding back into the hoodie. Looking at my clothes reminded me that tomorrow, Alice and Rosalie will be forcing me to play dress up.

"Bella, I've got breakfast for you," Mom's voice floated up. I grabbed my bag and made my way to the kitchen.

"Thanks Mom. Tomorrow morning I've got friends coming over. That's OK, right?" I asked, only asking permission as a courtesy.

"Oh, that's great you're making friends. Who are they?" Mom was always inquisitive about different people. She was quite the people person.

"Alice is Edward's cousin and Alice's boyfriend is Rosalie's twin and is dating Alice's brother Emmett." I tried to sum it up quickly, but it was pretty confusing.

"Ok. Here's your juice," Mom said, still trying to figure out what I'd just said. After downing my usual breakfast, I grabbed my bag and kissed Mom on the cheek before yelling a good bye to Charlie. I walked out the front door and leaned on the Volvo. Edward walked out of the garage door but didn't see me. He walked over to the driveway and looked around. I quietly snuck up behind him before I threw my arms around his waist.

"Good morning," I said as I felt him turn slightly. He put his hand on his heart, pretending to calm himself dramatically.

"Good morning. You scared me out of my skin," Edward said with an over-the-top country accent. I laughed and pulled away, hopping into the front seat of the Volvo. Edward climbed in and started the car, throwing in a CD as he pulled out.

"You've got a scary good country accent. Are you sure you didn't live in the South in another lifetime?" I asked jokingly. Edward soft chuckle filled the car.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I didn't." I looked over at him and smiled, being rewarded with his.

"Nice hoodie, by the way," Edward commented, making me blush.

"Well, you left it and I was cold. Very comfortable hoodie, by the way," I said, taunting him back a bit to cover it up my embarrassment.

"You can keep it then. I don't need it and you do, since you were so cold yesterday and this morning. This is surprising because there was a low of sixty."

"Well, it's genetic. I'm especially cold natured." I said with a straight face. Edward burst into laughter and I caved along with him.


	8. Chapter 8: Clothes and Firsts

Chapter Eight: Clothes and Firsts

"Bella, wake up!" I rolled over, confused.

"Let me sleep, Mom," I said, peeved because I always sleep late on Saturday.

"But we've got clothes for you!" I sat up, opening my eyes on the way. As my eyes adjusted, Rosalie and Alice came into focus, sitting on the end of my bed. Eventually, the reason why they're here comes back to me. Ugh, I can't believe I agreed to this!

"Did Mom let you in?" I mumbled. They nodded and I groaned, throwing back the covers and standing up. I gasped as I looked around the room, taking in, for the first time, the dozens of boxes and bags on the ground. "You didn't buy all this for me, did you?"

"Of course not, some of it is Alice's and mine," Rosalie said as she started making piles of outfits on the ground. I rolled my eyes while they both were bending over all the clothes they brought.

"Is it worth the trouble to get changed out of my PJs?" I asked sarcastically. They didn't even look up. Clothes came out of nowhere, slapping me in the face. "What if I want breakfast first?" I called as I started stripping down to my underwear.

"Renee sent up a pop tart and said you'd want that." I felt a something hit my shoulder blades and heard the crinkly wrapper. Eventually, I was dressed in a white, sleeveless sundress that felt like it was meant for me.

"Rosalie, we are good," Alice said. She stared at me before pulling out a colapsable, full sized mirror and stuck it to the wall next to the window. I saw myself and took a breathe. Whoa, I never thought I could look this good. The white complimented my skin and the V-neck made my shoulders look dainty. My cestnut hair hung loose, flowing over the shoulders and down my back. The dress hugged my curves just right.

"No offense Bella, but I think that Edward would die if you dressed like this everyday." Rosalie's comment made me blush deeply.

"So, what's next?" I asked, changing the subject. Alice smiled and pulled out a pair of dark wash skinny jeans and a blue, formfitting T-shirt. I threw it on and it felt like I was wearing a second skin. I turned and saw Alice and Rosalie staring at me like I was from Mars. "What?" I asked self consciously. They didn't answer me. Instead, they just pushed me in front of the mirror. Again, I couldn't believe that was me. I never thought I could pull off skinny jeans, but apparently I could. Blue was my color, too.

"Wow. I should totally call Edward across the window to see this," Alice whispered. Rosalie nodded and pulled out a cell phone.

"NO! I'm going over to Edward's this evening for dinner, so I'll wear this. OK?" I asked quickly, trying to placate them. They nodded and threw more clothes at me. It went on like this: Alice and Rose (as she insisted I call her) threw clothes at me that all fit perfectly while talking the whole time.

"So, do you see a lot of my cousin?" Alice asked innocently. I wasn't buying it.

"Yeah, he lives next door," I responded indifferently. Alice wasn't buying it.

"There's more than that. You know that he's never dated? I think that you can change him, and for the better. He needs to break out a bit, you know? What do you two do together, anyways?" she asked as she kept throwing outfits at me, the curiosity strong in her voice.

"Nothing really, just listens to music and chill," I said as I took in my fifteenth outfit in the mirror. It was a cotton skirt that ended about two inches from my knees and looked great and with the casual T-shirt that had a picture of the Sesame Street characters and said 'I was raised on the street'. I can tell that this outfit will get worn a lot.

"I think there's more too it. How do you feel about Edward, really? We won't tell, I promise," Rosalie said the last part jokingly, but with just enough seriousness.

"I'm…not sure anymore. I like him a lot, maybe too much," I said, hiding my face as I threw on a pair of faded jeans that also went with the Sesame Street shirt. I turned back to the mirror and saw Rose and Alice exchange a smug smile in the mirror.

"He likes you too, so don't worry," Alice said, looking around the room with the smile still on her face. Then I saw it drop. "You've tried on everything."

"I've got to go over to Edward's anyway," I said, digging through all the clothes on the bed, looking for the skinny jeans and blue shirt. I threw them on before brushing my hair and teeth. "I'll see you guys Monday, OK?" They nodded and followed me down the stairs. Mom smiled when she saw me in real clothes.

"Bella, you look even more beautiful than usual." I blushed and hugged Alice and Rose.

"Rose, Alice, thank you SO much for all the clothes. I'll pay you back sometime. Next Friday, we need to have a sleepover at my house," I said as they walked out the door. They waved before they hopping into Rose's red convertible. "Mom, we've got dinner tonight at the Cullen's. Edward invited me yesterday and I forgot until now. Sorry about that, but can we still go?"

"Bella," Mom sighed, "I would love to meet them and get to know Edward better." She winked as she said it and I hid my face before she continued, "Next time though, give us a heads up OK? Charlie, we've got dinner next door!" She yelled the last part over her shoulder and got a muffled reply before I saw Charlie burst through the door.

"Why do we need to know our neighbors?" he complained as he pulled on his shoes.

"Let's try not to be anti-social, OK? Put on your best people face, even though I know how hard it is when you usually use your face to scare poor new recruits," Mom said, sighing once she spoke. She took Charlie's arm and walked him out the door, leaving me to trail after them. I caught up as they rang the door bell and it was Edward who opened the door.

"I'm glad you could make it tonight, Mr. and Mrs. Swan," he said, opening the door wider so we could get in. He caught sight of me and his eyes gave me the once over, causing me to blush. He stuck his arm out and made a hook around my waist, shutting the door with one arm. I heard our parents settling into the living room but couldn't bring myself to care.

"Hello, Mr. Cullen. Your cousin and Rose kept me hostage all afternoon. You should have a talk with them about it not being nice to keep people captive," I whispered, which was all the air I had at present. Our proximity was something I don't think I can ever get used to.

"I love you in blue," Edward said even quieter than his usual softness. I blushed and felt his breath on my neck, making me forget what I was going to say. _I love you in everything…or nothing,_ that naughty part of my brain thought before I shut it up. "Mom, Bella and I will be in my room," Edward said louder than I expected and I jumped, but followed him up the stairs. "I'll have to thank Alice and Rose before I give them a lecture about kidnapping."

"Well, I guess that's OK, as long as you eventually give them the lecture," I said, trying not to smile as I collapsed on the bed next to Edward. He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me close against his side.

"It wasn't that bad was it?" Edward smiled down at me. I glanced up, about to say something until I noticed how close our faces were. All I could do was shake my head, and even that was a struggle. Edward's eyes were so intense that I couldn't breathe, so different were they from their usual dead look around everyone else. He started to lean in closer slowly and my whole body was tensed as if waiting for an impact, but in a good way, if that makes sense.

Edward closed the last inch so quickly it took me by surprise. It took me a second before I could comprehend it: I was kissing Edward Cullen. I reacted in a way that took even me by surprise; I kissed him back, hard. Edward pulled back as soon as I started to respond, breathing almost as hard as I was and we sat there with our foreheads together, breathing the same air. Edward finally broke the silence with, "I'm sorry, that was too fast."

"No, I'm sorry I reacted like that. I…should've had more control," I said, embarrassed for two reasons. One, I kissed him back that hard and two, it was my first kiss and I was seventeen.

"It was my fault; I like you far too much in blue." He kissed my cheek softly before tucking my head under his chin. My breathing eventually calmed back down if I didn't focus on the fact that my own personal god is holding me and just kissed me- oh crap, now I've got to start all over again. "I'm sorry, I realize that you probably don't care for me as much as I care for you and I went way too fast-"

"Edward, chill. I would've stopped you instead of kissing you back if I didn't care for you too. Just so you know, that was my first kiss," I said as I blushed. It made me feel even more naive when I said it out loud. Edward didn't laugh, though.

"I'm honored, then. Just so you know, that was my first kiss too," he said. He couldn't be serious. I mean, some one who looks like him? But I let him lie to me, at least for a while. I realized that it felt like Edward's arms where meant for to be around me and we fit together like jigsaw pieces.

"Do you mind if we don't tell anyone at school yet? I don't want to face all the gossip yet. I'm sure our parents will be able to tell, though," I said, upset that we have to hide it.

"I understand, and I don't mind at all." I really liked him too much for my own good, and he made it much too easy.

"Bella, Edward, supper's ready," Esme said from the bottom of the stairs. That jerked us out of our own little world. Edward pulled me up and I tried to smooth my hair out a bit while taking deep breaths to calm myself. As I started to walk towards the door, Edward pulled me back to him and hugged me so tightly I thought my lungs would never re-inflate. Emmett must have taught him that one.

"I won't be able to do that for a while," he explained as we walked down the stairs, ready to face dinner with our parents.

* * *

**AN: So, I decided it was time for a first kiss. Yes, I know that the T-shirt is in my other story, Thanks to the Children, but I love it and wanted to put it in this one. Thanks, Emma**


	9. Chapter 9: Nightmare and Date

Chapter Nine: Nightmare and Date

Lightning struck, illuminating the whole room. I stood up and walked to the window, which was open as always, despite the storm. I looked out and saw Edward lying on his stomach out on the middle of the slick board.

"Edward!" I cried, running to the window. I looked down and saw the ocean, churning and ripping hundreds of feet below. I screamed as stood up straight so that I wasn't leaning over the windowsill. "Edward, get down!" I cried again. _Not Edward, not him, _I thought over and over in my head. I watched, and as if in slow motion, his foot slipped on the wet board. He fell and somersaulted downward, falling and falling and falling. I screamed and screamed, trying to dig deeper into myself, finding nothing but emptiness.

* * *

Then I was lying in bed, breathing hard and covered in cold sweat. "Bella honey, wake up," Edward's frantic voice said in my ear. I opened my eyes fully and saw him shaking me. I looked at the clock and saw that it was just after one A.M.

"Edward, what are you doing here?" I asked, confused and groggy.

"I heard you screaming in your sleep through the open window. You gave me a real scare, Bella. You were really loud and kept screaming my name. I was really worried," he said, sitting next to me on the edge of the bed.

"Sorry, it was just a bad nightmare." I was really embarrassed. I don't usually have nightmares and never as bad as that one was. I hated that he had to see me like that.

"What was it about? It must have been really bad," Edward said sympathetically. I paused, but I eventually decided to tell him.

"Well, it was raining and you were trying to cross on the board and it was wet so you slipped," I said and my voice began to shake. I don't understand why this is such a big deal for me. Edward laid down on top of the covers and pulled me to him, his arms comforting. I buried my face in his white T-shirt and composed myself, reminding the reasonable part of me that he was here and it was stupid to overreact.

"Are you feeling better?" he whispered in my ear.

"Yes, I'm much better. Thank you so much for coming. You really didn't have to do that." I was blushing so much my face probably looked like a phoenix catching on fire and burning to its ashes. He probably will think I'm too needy and- but Edward interrupted my thoughts.

"I wanted to. I missed you," he whispered really softly before kissing the top of my head. I sank inside myself again, except this time I was full and not filled with emptiness.

"But you just saw me," I said as I closed my eyes and leaned against him.

"I know, but I still missed you." I buried my face deeper into his chest and enjoyed his warmth and smell. I started drifting to sleep slowly, completely at peace now. I felt Edward start to extract himself and panicked, pulling him back down.

"Don't go, stay," I mumbled. He sighed and I thought I heard him mumble, "I'm such a pushover," but I'm not sure. He pulled back the covers and climbed in, pulling my back against his chest. I was in heaven. I was also very tired. My eyes closed and I sank into unconsciousness slowly.

Until I was woken up by the beeping of my alarm clock, that is. I reached over to flip off the alarm, but before I could get to it the alarm stopped. I tried to sit up, but there was an arm around my waist. I glanced up and saw Edward waking up slowly. He looked even better than normal when he was half asleep. His hair was all messed up and his eyes were squinting in a way that made his forehead crinkle adorably.

"Good morning love," he grumbled with a morning voice. I smiled and kissed him quickly.

"Good morning. You should get home before our parents freak. Thank you for coming last night and you didn't have to stay," I said, blushing as he stood up. He smirked and pulled me into an Emmett-inspired hug.

"I wanted to," he whispered before he kissed me again. I forgot about my morning breath and the fact that my parents are downstairs. Edward pulled back and walked toward the window, climbing over the windowsill. I smiled and grabbed my white sundress. I set my alarm on a Sunday because Edward and I had an official date. We were going to head down to a cute little café that's hopping on Sunday mornings, filled to the brim with people reading the paper and sipping coffee. My parents were the kind who would bring books on religion and philosophy so they wouldn't feel so bad about skipping church.

"Don't you look…spunky this morning," Charlie said as I came down stairs into the kitchen where he'd just woken up as well. I smiled and sat down, loving how light I felt in the dress.

"Bella, you OK?" Mom asked, looking at me like I was high. I wasn't that sad before, right?

"I'm great Mom, why?" I asked innocently. "By the way, I've got a date with Edward today in…five minutes." I looked up and smiled widely. Mom smiled back but I could tell Charlie didn't want me to go. I think he tries not to like him really hard, but I'm sure he'll cave eventually.

"Is that why you're like this?" Mom asked.

"Like what?" I said with wide smile. I stood up and kissed them both. "See you tonight." I skipped, literally skipped, outside the front door where I saw Edward leaning against the light pole in between our houses. He bowed and took my arm when he straightened up.

"I thought we could walk, if you don't mind," he said with a knockout smile. I nodded and we started walking along in the beautiful midmorning sunlight. "You look beautiful in white as well as blue."

"You should thank your cousin. Even though they held me against my will, the clothes are great and they all fit me," I said and smiled at my luck at getting new clothes without having to shop.

"I wasn't talking about how beautiful the _clothes _are, love, only how beautiful as you look in them. The clothes are just that, clothes, until you wear them," Edward said, smiling down at me.

"You are such a sap," I whined with a fake sigh. I started to pull away a bit, but Edward just pulled me back by the tops of my arms. I saw the light filter through one of the only green trees in Phoenix and the light made everything seem happy.

"You think that's sappy? You are my sun, my life, my love. You are the only reason I wake up in the morning," he said dramatically, getting down on one knee. "I need you to survive. I couldn't go a single day without seeing your smile. Not seeing you would be my personal hell. You are the only thing holding me to this earth. You are so beautiful that Helen of Sparta would be intimidated by you." He stared into my eyes with mock seriousness.

"OK, I guess you weren't that sappy before," I replied seriously. Edward stood up and took my arm, but we couldn't make it two steps before falling apart. The people passing by stared and kept walking. We pulled ourselves together and started walking again, though we couldn't wipe the smiles of our faces.

"Here we are," Edward said as he led me into a cute coffee shop. It was one of those with comfy couches and arm chairs with tall stools and table sprinkled through out a huge, open area. Coffee wasn't my thing, so I ordered a berry smoothie before picking an old eighties couch in the far corner. The couch was a purplish color and really lumpy. Edward came back and sit at the end, with me leaning against him, taking up the whole couch.

"Thanks for last night, again," I said. I was still a little worried about that. I didn't even want to think about what I'd said in my sleep either. Edward took my head in his hands and bent down so that he was staring directly into my eyes. He opened his mouth, about to say something, when we were interrupted by a college kid carrying our drinks. Edward took them and passed mine to me. I noticed he had a coffee and I hoped he doesn't get coffee breath. He took a sip and returned to the whole face-in-hands-while-staring-in-my-eyes thing.

"I don't mind. I actually loved waking up with you, so forget it. Tonight, you can sleep in my room if you want," he said, releasing my face and picking up his coffee. I kept staring at him. He looked up, confused, until it hit him. "Of course, that is only if you want to. That was not what I meant at all," he said quickly, trying to cover up his blunder.

"I understand its fine. I loved waking up with you too. I don't usually have nightmares, just for the record."

"I know. It must have been one heck of a dream though. I'm amazed your parents didn't wake up with how loud you were," Edward said. The two of us sipped our drinks in silence for a while.

"I'm sorry for asking you to stay last night. I wasn't awake-" I was interrupted by Edward's hand on my mouth.

"Stop apologizing. I'm glad I could help and you don't need to apologize for anything." I nodded and Edward's serious expression disappeared, his hand came off my mouth. I took a sip of my light-tasting berry smoothie, my mouth still tingling from where his hand had been. I smiled, at peace on this ugly eighties couch in what I thought would be a place I would hate. But, I decided, the view from my window makes everything OK.

* * *

**AN: I've noticed something: I get a lot of story alerts and the like in the middle of the day when most people should be at shcool.... Thanks, Emma**


	10. Chapter 10: A Light in the Window

Chapter Ten: A Light in the Window

I walked into the house and leaned against the door, smiling like the happy idiot I was. Though, if you think about, all idiots are happy. I laughed at my own thoughts. God, this is an all-time low.

"Bella, you OK?" Mom asked, looking at me like I'd lost it. I didn't even notice she was there.

"Yeah, I'm just happy. Why?" I asked innocently, trying to calm down and return to earth.

"You just look a little…I don't know," Mom struggle. I think the word she was looking for was 'high'.

"Oh, I'm fine. Wasn't it a perfect sunset tonight?" I said, smiling at the perfect afternoon I had. After the coffee shop, we walked around for hours until we were hungry. We stopped by another cute café and grabbed sandwiches and sodas. Eventually we made our way to the most adorable little park about a block away, which was the only place I've found with green grass. I realized that green is my new favorite color. Edward and I watched the sunset from our backs on the grass with me snuggled against his side.

"Umm, I didn't notice. I was ordering dinner that you said you'd be home for." Huh, oh yeah.

"It's only six-fifteen. You and Charlie didn't eat without me, right?" I made my way to the kitchen and saw two pizzas still in their boxes. I brought them to the living room and flipped it to PBS, on autopilot at this point. "Mom, Charlie, let's eat!" I called through the house. Charlie walked in, looking apprehensive.

"You OK, Bells?" he asked as he sat on one side and Mom took the other.

"Why does everyone keep asking me? I'm fine and happy." I was getting a little fed up. They are killing my buzz.

"You just seem a little high," Charlie said. Well, at least he finished his thought instead of Mom just hinting at it. I rolled my eyes before resting them on the TV where there was a special about Pearl Harbor.

"I'm not high, drugs are bad," I replied sarcastically. They rolled their eyes at me before we fell into our casual silence, occasionally breaking it to make a comment about something we learned from a former PBS special. It was kind of unavoidable that I turned out a nerd with the genetics I've got. I sometimes start to doubt whether my parents lied about my age because I don't think normal teenagers enjoy watching PBS with their parents.

"I should hit the sack, I've got school tomorrow." I really just wanted to see Edward again. I threw on a pair of PJs and swing open my window, excited to see that Edward's window was open as well. I got across the board quickly, not nearly as nervous as I had been the first time. Edward looked up as I crawled through his window and landed with a thud on his rug.

"Hello, love. We need to be quiet because Mom and Dad are downstairs," he whispered before standing up. He hugged me and kissed my forehead softly before pulling me under the covers. I smiled and yawned widely.

"Thanks Edward. I sleep better with you," I mumbled, half-asleep already. Edward chuckled softly and pulled me closer to him, tucking my head against his chest. He hummed the song that he mixed for me. I thought I heard him sing my lyrics too, but I was already out like a light.

* * *

"Bella love, we need to get up," an angel's voice whispered in my ear. I fought it hard, trying not to leave the dream where I was in Edward's arms. "Do you want Charlie to catch you in here?"

"Five more minutes?" I grumbled, burying myself even closer to Edward. Whoa, I guess it wasn't a dream after all.

"Our parents might like us together, but I don't think they'll enjoy this sleepover," he said with a laughing undercurrent.

"I'm up." I rolled over and stretched, accidentally smacking Edward in the face. He smiled and pulled me closer before letting me go quickly. I stood up and kissed his cheek, smiling as I made my way across the board and remembering that if I don't look down then it isn't scary at all. Once in my room, I searched through all the clothes Alice and Rose bought me. I settled on the casual cotton skirt and the Sesame Street shirt, although I put on a pair of shorts under the skirt. I've got a feeling Alice and Rose would give me a lecture on why I shouldn't do this, but it's much more comfortable this way.

"Bella, I've got breakfast ready for you!" Mom's voice floated up the stairs towards my attic. I walked down the stairs, smiling again. Something about being in the same room with Edward for eight hours straight, even while we're unconscious, is a huge boost.

"Good morning Mom. Thanks for breakfast," I said before kissing her cheek. I sat down and ate my pop tarts while smiling the whole time. I flashed Mom with my nasty, food covered teeth a few times. "I'll see you tonight because I'm spending the afternoon with Edward," I said before slamming the front door. This time, I just hopped into the Volvo like I owned it. Edward walked out seconds later before he hopped in the driver's seat.

"Good morning again, love. You look even more beautiful than usual." he said as he tossed his stuff in the back. I, of course, blushed at the compliment. He leaned over the console and kissed me. My heart over reacted and started beating double-time. He pulled back before I could responsd and my face morphed into a pout. Edward just looked away and popped in a CD. I'll get him back for that this afternoon.

"What are we listening to this morning?" I asked, pushing away my pouty mood.

"Just some of your words I turned into songs. I hope you don't mind, I did it without asking you," he said nervously but I wasn't paying a lot of attention anymore. We spent the whole ride to school in silence, Edward worrying about my reaction and I loved how I knew exactly what song it was and where the words went. I didn't realize we'd stopped and were at the school until Edward flipped off the music and stepped out of the Volvo before walking around the car to open my door.

"Did you like it? Is it OK? Is it like you wanted it to be?" Edward said nervously. I noted that his voice was the traditional softness that it always held around others.

"I loved it! Why would you even ask?" I cried as I hugged him as tight as I could and kissed his cheek.

"I don't know, I was just worried about what you would think. You can do the vocal anytime you want. I'd love to get a chance to record you," he whispered in my ear and we pulled away from each other. We smoothed out our clothes and I was glad that there was a big SUV blocking us from sight of the school. I nodded and smiled, more excited than I'd care to admit about getting to hear my songs as I've always imagined them.

"Are you ready for another day of school?" I asked Edward with fake brightness. He laughed in the softness that I hated. I don't mind to hear it when he wants to talk quietly and it's just the two of us, but when he hides at school it bothers me.

"Bella, you look awesome!" Emmett called all the way across the parking lot. Rose, walking next to him, rolled her eyes and slapped him lightly. When they reached us, Rose gave me a once-over.

"You clean up pretty nice, I'll admit. Alice and I do a pretty good job helping those in fashion crises." She smiled smugly and hugged me, proud that I'd actually worn the clothes and that she'd picked the out.

"We'd better go," I said and Rose and Emmett left. Edward and I shared a parting look before I went to first period. I walked to my seat and saw Alice already in her seat. She looked excited and I braced myself.

"Bella, you look great! It's a good thing that you have good clothes now. I never would've guessed what a great body you had hidden underneath those clothes. Ooohhhh, what did Edward say?" Alice talked so fact that I struggled to keep up. Just as she finished the bell rang and Mrs. Brown called attention to the front. A couple of minutes later, Alice slipped a note under my elbow. I opened it up and sighed.

A: _What's up with you and Edward anyway?_

I sighed and thought about it before deciding to tell Alice the truth. She deserved it for being so good to me when I was new and she _is _Edward's cousin.

B: _We're together now, but we're keeping it on the DL. _

A: _I'm so happy for you guys! I can't believe that I'll have you for a cousin-in-law!_

B: _Let's not jump the gun. _

A: _But I know that you guys will be together for at least a while if not forever. _

B: _How do you know? _

A: _I just do. Stop it, you're killing my buzz. Well, at least you've got good clothes now so you can make him drool with some of the outfits you've got._

I wasn't even going to respond to that. The class dragged on and on. I decided that I should start paying attention in my classes, even if I'd rather be thinking about Edward. I was relieved when I saw Angela in second period. I knew that she wouldn't ask too many questions.

"Hello Bella. How was your weekend?" Angela asked politely.

"One of the best in my life," I said with a tiny smile, trying not to show just how happy I really am. I think she saw through it pretty easily through.

"That's nice. Care to elaborate?" she said, leaning in. I saw a smile that I wouldn't have expected from Angela. I really needed to get to know her better this week. I waited for a dramatic pause and scratched my chin.

"Nope, I think I'm good." I smiled widely and I'm sure she knew that I knew that she knew what I was talking about.

"Well, good for you," she said as class started. Yes, it was good for me.

* * *

**AN: Sorry that took so long. I was at Camp Mitchell Episcopal Church camp (if you don't know what Episcopal is, you can google it). Sorry and enjoy, Emma**


	11. Chapter 11: Edward's Father

Chapter Eleven: Edward's Father

"Mom, we're home!" Edward called quietly. We dropped our bags and took off our shoes at the door before heading into the kitchen. Esme met us in the kitchen and she was wearing an apron again.

"Edward, dinner will be in another hour and a half or so. Oh, Bella dear, it's great to see you again. You are welcome to stay for supper," Esme said, giving me a hug.

"It's nice to see you too, Esme. Thanks for having me over again," I said politely. Esme smiled and waved her hand dismissively.

"Edward, head on up to your room. I want to talk to Bella alone for a minute," she said. Edward glanced at me quickly before he walked out, leaving me alone and confused. "How have you been sleeping lately, Bella?" Esme asked as soon as Edward saw out of ear shot. Crap, she knows.

"Very well, thank you," I said, trying to play stupid.

"I don't doubt it. I'm sure Edward makes a nice pillow." I started to open my mouth (even though I had no idea what I was going to say) when Esme cut me off. "I'm not going to stop you because I know that you two are just sleeping, just be careful. I don't want either of you to be hurt."

"Thanks Esme, I promise we'll be careful." I smiled shakily and walked up to Edward's room. "She knows about our sleepovers," I said as soon as I shut the door.

"I'm sorry, what?" Edward said from his seat on his bed. He was fiddling with the stereo when I walked in, but after my announcement his head shot up and he was staring at me.

"She knows, but said that she's not going to do anything about it," I explained and I saw him relax. I sat next to him and leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath. "It's a good thing that it was Esme and not my parents that found out first."

"I can't believe she cornered you down there." Edward sounded very sorry and wrapped his arm around my waist, resting his head on mine.

"She doesn't want us to get hurt. It's not a big deal if you take a deep breath and think about how much worse it could have been. Esme could have made a big deal about it and banned us from ever being together in the foreseeable future, instead she just told us to be safe," I said, trying to be the voice of reason.

"Whatever you say, love," Edward said, taking a deep breath. I could tell that he was trying to chill out and pretend that his mother doesn't now he has a girl in his bed at night. Wow, when I put it like that I understand why he's freaked. Then again, I'm the girl whose boyfriend's mother knows that I'm sleeping in her son's bed.

"Let's listen to some more of the songs you made for me," I said, changing the subject. Edward shrugged his shoulders and switched on the stereo. I sunk into Edward's side and sat through four songs straight in total silence. Then, the song I'd written about words that Edward inspired started. To me, it was the most beautiful of all the songs. It did make me think about some unanswered questions I've had for a while as well. Now is as good a time as ever.

"Edward, why are you so quiet at school and around everyone else?" I asked apprehensively. I felt Edward's muscles tense underneath me. I glanced up at his face and saw that it was smooth and tense. "Edward, are you OK?" I asked, a little worried at that point.

"I'm fine; I just…don't like talking about it." He looked so sad that I didn't want to push it, even though I knew that I needed to know.

"I need to know what 'it' is," I said as gently as I could. Edward expelled the breath that he'd been holding and tightened his arm around my waist before starting his story.

"Did you know that Carlisle isn't my biological father?" he asked, knowing I didn't. I gasped and started to say something, but Edward kept talking, plunging into his story quickly. "Mom got pregnant with me before she graduated from high school. My father was her long time boyfriend and, even though they had their rough patches, she loved him unconditionally. Everything was fine for years, even though they got married at eighteen and both went to school full-time. That is, until I turned six.

"After my sixth birthday, something inside my father changed. He became verbally abusive towards Mom and me. He yelled at me, but never laid a hand on my body. Mom, on the other hand, was a different story." I saw his face harden even more. "I never saw any of this, but he would force Mom to sleep with him even when she told him to stop. I did, however, see the bruises on her face and arms. Once, right before I turned eight, he went too far and broke her ribs.

"I remember hearing Mom scream and I went running. I knew that my father had been the one hurting her, but I'd never heard her scream before. The bed had blood splattered on it and Mom was passed out on the bed, her wrist bent at an odd angle. Even at eight, I knew how to call 911 and dialed quickly. Carlisle was Mom's doctor and cared for the two of us like family, treating Mom's physical and emotional injuries and giving me ice cream.

"After two weeks, Mom was healthy enough to be released. No one had seen my father since that night, and yet neither of us wanted to go home. Carlisle owned a town house that had an unused third floor that he let us rent. When I was ten, they got married and we've been happy for years now. I guess I've never been outspoken, but after all of that I just didn't talk. Old habits die hard."

I didn't say anything as he lapsed into silence. I can't believe that anyone could do that to Esme. She was so kind and caring and the most violent thing she probably has ever done was kill a spider. I felt my eyes tear up in anger and I felt like hitting something, her ex-husband preferably. Edward pulled me up so that I was sitting directly on top of his lap, my head on his shoulder. He began rocking me in silence and I began to feel stupid.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be crying when nothing like that has ever happened to me. I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am-" Edward cut me off by kissing me softly. I could feel all the emotions pour from him into me, filling me with sadness, pain, and shockingly, hope. Hope for the future and our future together.

"It's not your fault, love. Don't worry about anything, it was a while ago," Edward said, his soothing voice drying my eyes a little. I pulled myself closer to him, still unsure rather I needed to vent some anger on a wall. "Bella calm down, I can feel the tension in your body."

"Sorry, I'm trying to suppress a lot of anger here," I said, trying to loosen the atmosphere. It worked to a certain extent; Edward laughed lightly. I felt Edward's hands on my shoulders and he started to rub them, loosening the muscles there. I relaxed instantly, sinking back into his chest. "Sorry, I know I'm trouble."

"You aren't trouble," he said peacefully. His hands kept doing their magic on my neck and shoulders.

"Where did you learn to massage like this?" I asked as he found an especially tense spot between my shoulder blades.

"Mom always told me that the best way to a woman's heart was through her shoulders. She gave me lots of practice at it too, as she loves being pampered with little things like massages," Edward explained. I'd never had a massage before, but I decided that I should get them more often. Esme was a very wise woman.

"Esme is right. All of my kids will know how to give a good massage," I vowed to myself out loud.

"It worked out pretty well for me," Edward said and I could hear the laugh behind his words.

"That it did," I agreed, giving him that one. His hands kept tracing my now relaxed shoulders, neck, and back. I was totally in my own little world. Edward is welcome to visit, of course. I groaned and leaned back, arching my back slightly. I felt Edward's hands stop moving and he froze in shock. I looked up at him and saw his face was blank. He started taking deep breaths, keeping impassive. "You OK?"

"I'm fine, give me a sec," he said, slightly strained. That's when I started to blush. _Good job Bella_, one part of me thought. _Get out of the gutter,_ the good part thought at the good part.

"I'm sorry, I didn't-" That was all I had. After a couple seconds, his hands started to rub my shoulders again. My blush was still there though. Edward put a hand on my cheek and felt the heat, which only made me blush harder. Edward just started laughing at me, shaking against me as he laughed hard. I blushed even harder than before and crossed my arms, which moved a lot better now that they were so relaxed.

"Don't be embarrassed love," he said and I nodded slowly. I pushed this whole incident into the back of my head and was relieved when Esme called us down for supper. I stood up and offered my hand to help Edward up. He smirked at me as he stood up and I could tell he was about to test me. Yet I couldn't do anything about the wave of embarrassment I felt when he slipped his hands on my waist and rested his chin on the top of my head. I looked down at his shoes and my cheeks flushed again.

"That's not very nice," I muttered under my breath. Edward laughed and gave me one last squeeze before letting me go.

"I know, but I couldn't resist." He flashed me a breathtaking smile and I nearly tripped over the top stair. Edward steadied me and led me the rest of the way down the stairs. I stopped at the bottom and Edward paused when I did. I smiled as I saw Carlisle walk in the kitchen, straight towards Esme. He pulled her into a hug that was so gentle that it looked like he thought she was glass. I saw him run his hand over her ribs softly, as if mending them with his hand. Whatever happened to her before Carlisle, Esme is lucky that she has what she deserves now.

* * *

**AN: Thanks for getting this far in the story. **

**My soundtrack is The Spill Canvas's album "No Really, I'm Fine" Love it :)**

**I've had computer troubles and it took a while to work it out with Music ADD, but I've got it now. If I get enough reveiws, I'll post the next chapter tomorrow... Emma**


	12. Chapter 12: Caffeine

Chapter Twelve: Caffeine

I watched how Carlisle acted around Edward and Esme all during supper. I felt a little protective of them now that I knew the whole story. After dinner, though, I whole-heartedly approve of Carlisle. I would hate to hate him. "Bella?" I heard Edward say from beside me, his hand shaking my leg under the table.

"Yeah?" I came to and saw everyone at the table looking at me expectantly.

"How are you?" Esme repeated.

"I'm fine, thank you for asking. How was your day?" I ask back, trying to make up for not paying attention. As soon as I'd asked, Esme launched into all the different things she did that day. She's cleaned, ran errands, had a meeting for organizing a food drive, and made food for the homeless shelter. She makes me feel incredibly lazy.

"…Just an ordinary day," Esme summed up. I sat there with my jaw hanging open.

"Bella, are you OK?" Edward muttered, leaning in close to my ear.

"My ordinary day is going to school then coming home to chill with Edward." Esme and Carlisle looked at me before they started to crack. They laughed behind their hands while Edward just looked at them like they were crazy. "My point is, I don't do anything productive or worthwhile," I explained to Edward.

"Ah," he said politely. Then he cracked too, though he didn't try to hide it.

"What is it that you do that's so productive?" I challenged Edward. He merely shrugged and went back to the wonderful chili Esme made. "That's what I thought," I muttered as I followed his lead and started eating again.

"I think that you're just jealous," Edward said out of the blue. I turned to stare at him, folding my arms over my chest.

"And just how did you work that one out?" I asked, curious and a little peeved at the same time.

"You know that I'm more productive than you are, so you wish that you could be as good as me," Edward explained, as if it were obvious.

"Excuse me; What?" I said, confused and really irked. I thought I saw sparkling in Esme's eyes, but I could've imagined it.

"You wish you were as good as me," he spelled out slowly like he's teaching a little kid to read. I looked into his eyes and saw that he was truly serious. After I looked for a few seconds, I saw the façade crack and drop like stepping on a piece of ice on the street and the sheet of ice sinks under the water trapped beneath it. His eyes sparkled as he laughed, loud and proud. Esme and Carlisle really did have sparkles in their eyes as well as they tried to hide their amusement at my reaction.

"Edward, the entertainment room is yours tonight. Go pick out a movie for you and Bella," Esme said as she and Carlisle started clearing up dinner. Edward pulled me up by the hand and led me to a room across from the staircase. The room was fairly small and the walls were a simple baby blue. There was a huge L-shaped couch that took up most of the room and across from that was a flat-screen TV with a shelf below it filled with games, movies, and game systems.

"You're horrible," I said sullenly as I took a seat on the couch and stretched out.

"Is that why you love me so much?" Edward teased and took the seat next to me. He took my head and placed it on his leg, which made a hard pillow. Even this lighthearted teasing made my heart thump.

"You're not only horrible, but impossible too," I said crossly. I would've moved away from him to make my point but I couldn't bring myself to do it.

"Impossible…not to love." I could hear the smile snap across his face. I sighed resignedly. Soft hands pulled my head up and Edward kissed me softly. OK, I've lost this battle. Stupid amazing man with stupid irresistible powers of persuasion.

"Just so you know, I'm still upset with you," I said as I pulled back. I was breathless so I'm not sure it came across quite as strongly as I meant for it to.

"As you should be," Edward responded solemnly. He returned my head to its pillow and fiddled with the remote in his hand. It was on the Sci-Fi channel but Edward flipped it to National Geographic were they had a special on Cleopatra that I'd been planning on watching. I was too stubborn to say thanks, but Edward seemed to have read my mind. "You're welcome, love."

"Whatever," I muttered and settled down as the TV started to explain about how Alexandria shaped Cleopatra's upbringing. Being the nerd, I was immersed in the story and taking in all of the random facts that make me great at Trivial Pursuit. I assume that Edward was bored out of his mind but he didn't say anything for a whole hour. I decided that he'd done his time in the dog house and smiled up at him after the ending credits rolled.

"Thank you, I enjoyed that," I said sweetly. Then I kissed him, but pulled back before he could kiss me back. That was payback for this morning.

"Bella, not fair," he whined, leaning in to kiss me. I turn to the side and kiss him sweetly on the cheek. I saw his face and it looked hurt and unhappy.

"What? Maybe I'm just not ready to give you that yet," I said, faking offense. I watched his expression go from hurt to shock.

"Bella, you know that I would never ask anything more than you were willing to give-" Edward said hastily.

"Well, I don't want to give you a kiss right now," I said seriously. I watched Edward mask his emotions and nod slowly. I started laughing so hard I was writhing on the couch. I think I hit Edward in the chin a couple times, I was laughing that hard.

"What? I don't get it." Edward looked confused and stared at me like I'd lost it. I smiled even wider and kissed him quickly.

"Sorry about that, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity. Your face was truly priceless," I explained in between my laughter.

"You're lucky I love you too much to turn you into a psych ward," he said, still staring at me. I, on the other hand, found myself very entertaining. "I think we need to get you home," Edward said, a little worried. He picked me up bridal style with me laughing all the way.

"Edward, is she alright?" Esme asked, concerned, as we passed by the living room on the way out.

"Bella, how much soda did you drink?" Edward asked in horror, apparently remembering the story about my caffeine tolerance from a earlier this week. I started laughing again just remembering my first major encounter with caffeine. "I only poured you half a glass with a lot of ice."

"I drank that and you poured me a full one," I said through my giggles. Even though I knew that caffeine did this to me, it was still funny.

"Bella love, you drank mine too," Edward explained and sighed. I looked up and saw through my tears Esme and Carlisle look at each other because of his pet name for me.

"Whoops. Sorry 'bout that Edward," I managed, though it sounded choked. I saw Edward roll his eyes from above me.

"I think I'm going to get her home now," he said wearily.

"Nice to see you Bella and come back soon," Esme said, kissing me on the cheek before Edward carried me out. I'll be touched at that gesture later, after all the caffeine filters through. At the door to my house, Edward tried to set me down on my feet but I tripped and that got me laughing all over again, leaning on Edward.

"What would your parents think if I had to carry you inside?" Edward asked, though I didn't answer because I thought he was talking to himself. He sighed deeply and picked me up bridal style again. My parents stared at him as he walked into the living room. "I'm sorry Renee and Charlie. I gave Bella just a little bit of soda and she ended up drinking my glass too," Edward explained, sounding very apologetic.

"Yep, that sounds like our Bells," Charlie said a little gruffly, but he didn't sound mad. Maybe Edward was finally winning him over. Edward shifted me a bit in his arm and it tickled me a bit, causing me to laugh.

"That tickled," I explained. Charlie rolled his eyes this time.

"I'd better get her upstairs," Edward said and started toward the stairs.

"You sure you got her?" Charlie asked a little possessively, rising a couple inches out of his seat.

"I'm sure, she's not heavy at all," was Edward's polite reply, either not noticing my father's tone or ignoring it. Well, that's a lie because I'm pretty sure I'm not as light as he's pretending I am. Even in my current state, I was still sad when I noticed that all of our conversations with our parents were muffled on Edward's side. He carried me up the stairs without tripping once.

"Thank you, Edward," I said before I laughed because, when Edward set me down on my bed, I bounced a bit.

"Bella, are you going to be OK for a few hours until I come back tonight?" Edward asked as he sat on the edge of the bed. I looked up at him and smiled goofily.

"Of course I will. I'm not two," I said, still smiling. Caffeine was like a giant endorphin for me. I thought I heard Edward mumble something about how I was acting like I was two, but I was too busy bouncing to notice.

"Try to calm down before I get back, love." Edward was trying so hard to stay collected. He leaned down to kiss my forehead quickly and squeezed my hand before he left. I was left to bounce on my bed alone for an hour before the caffeine slowly started to work its way out of my system.

* * *

**AN: This chapter was nothing but fluff, but next chapter...**

**SNEAK PEAK: "You aren't my father and you never were. I've got a father now, and he's twice the man you ever could be." -Edward**

**Hang in there, that'll be next ;P Thanks, Emma**


	13. Chapter 13: Edward's 'Father'

Chapter Thirteen: Edward's 'Father'

"Bella, are you even listening to me?" Alice asked loudly at lunch the next day. I was startled from my Edward-induced trance. I had been staring at our hands on top of the table.

"I am now Alice, chill," I said, laid back.

"So, as I was saying before a certain someone made me interrupt, there's a party at my house the day after tomorrow and everyone's invited," she finished with a squeal.

"And Bella, Alice and I are going to help you get dressed so you don't show up in jeans," Rose called from across the table, staring at my jeans and T-shirt.

"I've been good the past couple of days," I whined, totally missing the big deal about wearing my old clothes every once in a while.

"I think you look beautiful, love," Edward said in his 'everyone else is around' voice. This was the first time he's spoken since this morning in the car.

"He speaks!" Emmett cried, pulling eyes over to our table. "And, of course, what he says makes all the other men at the table look bad."

"You're sweet Emmett…in your own way," Rose tried, but eventually admitted the truth. "But you are pretty damn good Edward. No wonder Bella fell for you." I blushed and was relieved when that it was time to go to Biology. Biology was our time together during school…once we sidestep Jessica.

"Hey Edward," Jessica said in a sickening, flirtatious way. "I'm sure you've, like, heard about the party at your cousin's house and I was wondering if, like, we could go together, you know, like a date."

"I think that he'll be going with me, you know, like his girlfriend," I explained to her as I pulled Edward into our seats. Honestly, she pretended to be nice in the beginning but now she was always hanging around Edward, especially when I'm around.

"You're cute when you're jealous," Edward whispered in my ear as class started.

* * *

"Esme, we're home!" I called once we walked through the door. I now treated Edward's house like my own, dropping my bag and taking off my shoes. This time, she didn't answer with a 'come in dear but with a yell of pure pain.

"James, stop!!" Esme screamed from the kitchen and then a thud.

"Mom, I'm coming," Edward yelled, the loudest I've ever heard him. He took off with me close on his heels. I didn't get a good look at the scene as a whole. All I saw was Esme, lying on the floor and covered in her own blood.

"Esme, I'm coming!" I ran as fast as I could over to her, taking her into my arms and being careful not to hurt her even more. She was barely conscious; she'd lost so much blood.

"Bella…is that you?" Esme whispered so softly that I almost couldn't make it out.

"I'm here Esme, I'm here," I said quickly, but she had already blacked out.

"Is this anyway to greet your old man?" that horrible excuse for a human being said condescendingly. Edward had pulled him up off the ground and punched him in the face. I hope he broke his nose.

"You aren't my father and you never were. I've got a father now, and he's twice the man you could ever be," Edward practically growled. James cruel smile turns into a snarl as he slaps Edward's cheek and I could see the bruise forming.

"Edward!" I cry, worried about him. James was a tall blonde man, about 6'4" and his muscles were obvious in his white tank top.

"Oh, Eddie has got himself a little girlfriend. What'd you do, knock her up?" James sneered, stalking towards me. He towered over me and Esme, who was still bleeding on me and unresponsive. Next thing I know, James is on the floor in front of me. I look up and Edward is standing over his unconscious body with his fist raised.

"I hate it when he calls me Eddie," Edward growled, staring down in complete and uncontrolled anger for a second. After seeing how badly hurt Esme is, he pulled out his cell and dialed 911. I tuned him out as he called an ambulance. Esme was just lying in my arms, a crumpled and damaged figure instead of the beautiful hostess I've come to know her as. The light that always seemed to shine from her was burnt out. It hurt to see her like this when she doesn't deserve to be treated like this.

"Edward, when he wakes up can I hit him too?" I asked, looking up at Edward as he hung up and we could hear the sirens.

"No, I don't think that anyone will be seeing him for a very long time, if ever again. Nice idea, but no." Edward's voice was far away and his eyes were too. He was looking at Esme and me, but he wasn't really seeing us.

"Esme, Edward, Bella! Are you OK?" Carlisle screamed, running through the house. The ambulance had parked out front while we were talking. Carlisle was disheveled and in tears when he saw me with Esme. He ran forward, picked her up gently, and ran her out to the ambulance. We sat in silence as we hear the ambulance drive away from us. Finally I broke it.

"Come on, I need to borrow a pair of clothes and your shower. In five minutes, we need to leave for the hospital where I will stay with you all the way. Go get the car," I commanded, taking charge. His eyes were vacant and he was moving on autopilot. I met him downstairs in a pair of his shorts that went down past my knees and a white sleeveless shirt of his. When I got in the car, Edward was sitting still and the car was _silent._

"I'm going to put on some music," I said, worried that he wasn't even listening to music. Not to say that I wasn't scared and totally in shock, but Edward not listening to music is just weird. The drive to the hospital was short and quiet, each of us trapped in our own thoughts. I would've slapped James if he hadn't been unconscious. "Edward, are you OK?" I asked softly as he parked and started walking without waiting for me.

"I just watched my biological father beat up my mother and insult you. How do you think I'm doing?" Edward started off normal volume and ended up yelling. He had turned around and was standing right in front of me, his face close to mine. His eyes were still mostly empty, but there were hints of anger specked throughout.

"I think you feel like crap," I said evenly. Edward just stared at me, not in a mean way but just…looking intensely. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry that this happened to you and Esme."

"It's not your fault." That's all he said before he pulled away and walked towards the hospital. I decided to give him a few hours to snap out of it and followed a couple paces behind him. When we reached the front desk of the ER, I could see that Edward couldn't talk right now.

"We're here to see Esme Cullen who was just taken here in an ambulance," I said quietly to the nurse who, despite all the things she must see, looked bored.

"Are you family?" she asked in a nasally voice.

"He is her son and his…father works here," I explained to her, stumbling over Carlisle's title. She just waved us in after giving us a room number and a finger in the right direction. We had to squish against the wall to avoid nurses on the way because the ER was hopping busy.

Nothing could've prepared me for the sight in the room. Esme was hooked up to a thousand different monitors and the room was filled with beeping. Esme was wrapped up with white gauze every surface that was visible. Some blood was still caught in her hair, which had been ripped and torn at. She'd have to get all of her beautiful, long, and shiny hair cut short.

"Mom," I heard Edward moan as he hurried around to her side, grabbing at her hand. He buried his face into the blankets around Esme and his body started to shake with tears I couldn't see. I hurried to his side and wrapped my arms around him from the side.

"Edward, she'll be alright. Everything is going to work out," I muttered into his ear just as Carlisle walked in. His eyes were bloodshot and his face was red. He took one look at Esme and hurried over to the bed, obviously wanting our spot. "Come on Edward, let's give them time," I said, pulling him away from the bed. Edward didn't resist at all, letting me drag him.

"Thank you, for helping him," Carlisle whispered in my ear shakily before going to his wife. I pulled Edward into an open area in the hospital with a dozen couches spattered throughout the space. I pushed him into a chair and sat on top of him with my feet on the arm of the chair, my head on his chest.

"Edward, I'm here for you. Just know that I won't leave you," I whispered into his ear. When he didn't answer, I looked up into his face. It was blank and his eyes were staring ahead of him at nothing. I think he heard me but just couldn't answer me. I rested my forehead against his neck and started to breath deeply. Lyrics for a new song started circling in my head. By the time I came back to the real world, I noticed that I was hungry. And that Mom and Charlie expected me for dinner.

"Edward, I'm going to get some food. I'll be right back," I said softly. I stood up and stretched my stiff muscles. Edward nodded ever so slightly and I sighed, stuck my hand into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. I made my way to the cafeteria and grabbed some bagged meals before circling to the girl's restroom. "Mom, I'm not going to be home tonight or tomorrow," I said after she answered.

"Oh, and why not?" she said, sounding a little threatening.

"Esme's in the hospital and Edward needs me. I can't leave them now, Mom," I said, sounding strong and sure.

"And why not?" she asked with a 'tone'. I explained quickly the whole James thing and Mom was singing a different tone.

"Oh honey, I'm so sorry that happened to them. And that you had to see it all!" Mom was crying and in hysterics. I hung up so that Charlie could deal with her before making my way back to Edward. I found him exactly as I'd left him: staring at the wall and focusing on his inner turmoil. I sighed mentally; already emotionally drained before what I'm sure will be a killer of a night.

I've got to make him open up. Again.

* * *

**AN: I hope this wasn't a disappointment for anyone. Thanks for reading this far and feel free to review, Emma**


	14. Chapter 14: The Aftermath

Chapter Fourteen: The Aftermath

It was past midnight and neither of us were tired. Carlisle came out every now and then to our spot in the waiting room to give us updates and take a break from the small room. Esme's condition didn't change, which was good because it didn't get worse.

Edward's condition didn't change either. I tried to give him support by just being close and I'd like to think it helped. Finally, I just had to get up.

"Edward, I'm going to grab us some sodas OK?" I said, standing up. Edward nodded slightly but didn't look at me. "No caffeine, I promise," I tried again. His lips twitched, but that's all the reaction I got. I stalked away, trying to be understanding. I grabbed a Dr. Pepper for Edward and a Sprite for me.

I meant to walk back to Edward but, as I passed by the door to Esme's room, I felt pulled to go in and take her hand. Carlisle must be taking another break because the room was empty.

"Hey Esme, how are you?" I asked softly, knowing that I was talking to myself. "I'm sure you're doing pretty crappy. I'm sorry that you have to deal with this when you don't deserve it. But you need to be OK, you just have to be." My eyes started to tear up and my voice began to crack.

"Edward needs you to be OK. Carlisle needs you and frankly, I need you. You have to be alright so that you can cook dinner and wear that apron and find out about me and Edward's sleepovers. You have to be there to be a mother to Edward and a second mother to me."

"Bella, what are you doing here?" Carlisle interrupts just before I really start to bawl. He was still in scrubs from this morning and his hair was a mess.

"I was just talking to Esme. I'll leave you alone with her," I said softly so he wouldn't hear how raw it is, I wiped my eyes on Edward's shirt. I stood up to make my way to the door and was surprised when Carlisle pulls me into a light hug.

"Take care of him, he needs you more than he realizes," Carlisle said as he pulled back. I nodded and stumbled back to the chair, throwing the sodas on the table. As soon as I was on Edward's lap, I let my tears out. I wasn't going to cry for him, but maybe seeing someone else's tears will help his own grieving process.

"Shhh Bella, it's going to be fine," Edward whispered in my ear, surprising me. His arms wrapped tightly around my waist and I buried my face in his shoulder, my whole body shaking.

"I know she'll be fine, but it still makes me mad," I explained, my voice sounding blubbery.

"I know love, I know," Edward said softly into my hair. This was the most he's said since it happened. We sat in silence for almost an hour, neither of us knowing what to say. I calmed down and focused only on Edward's breathing and scent. I sighed and looked out from my niche in his shoulder. Edward was back to staring at the wall.

"Edward," I whispered, trying to get his attention. I looked up so that I could see his whole face. I loved how his nose was a little crooked at the end and his chin was so defined. "Edward," I said, louder this time. Still nothing.

I kissed the bottom of his chin in hopes of catching him off guard, still staring at him hopefully and noticing how the shadow from his nose looked against his skin. Finally, I just kissed his soft mouth until he kissed back, wrapping his arms around me. I pulled back and smiled widely at him, pleased with myself.

"What was that for?" Edward asked, his eyes sparkling dimly in the lamp light. I did an inner victory dance, unbelievably relieved to see those lights in his eyes again.

"I called you name twice and even kissed your neck. I don't know how aware you've been, but the last several hours have been pretty tough," I explained. I wanted to take it back as soon as I said it, afraid that it might throw him into his 'mood' again. I was ecstatic when he laughed, the sound echoing around the room.

"Wait, you kissed my neck? Could you do it again, now that I'm paying attention?" Edward said, his eyes laughing. I laughed along with him, savoring this moment in case we go back to 'zombie Edward'.

"Maybe you should pay more attention next time," I joked back. Edward sighed and rolled his eyes. He turned me around so that he could reach my shoulders and started to massage them. After everything that's happened, this felt even better than the last massage. "If you do this enough, I might just give you that kiss."

"Wow, the massage really works with women." I rolled my eyes and relaxed before remembering the sodas that were still on the table.

"Edward, I got you a soda. They're on the table," I told him and he used his long arms to reach around me. Sitting back up, he handed me my Sprite as he drained half of his Dr. Pepper in one sip. "How can you handle that much caffeine?" I asked as he resumed his massaging.

"Most people don't have issues with caffeine. Normally people can't get enough of it, love." Edward started laughing his perfect laugh, remembering me on my caffeine high. I sighed and drank the rest of my Sprite in silence. Edward looked down at me and smiled once and I was glad to see that sparkle was still there.

"Edward, Bella, I've got news," Carlisle called, running towards us. I looked up and the sparkle was gone in a flash.

"What happened? Is she OK?" I asked quickly, sitting up quickly.

"Esme's in a coma. She woke up halfway and it hurt too much, so we put her in a drug induced coma. She should come out of it in a week or so and with luck be fine afterwards with no lasting damage." I let loose the breathe I'd been holding, relieved that everything will turn out fine. I looked up and saw that Edward's face was closed off again.

"Thank you, Carlisle. Edward and I should get home. I'll bring him tomorrow morning and stay with him tonight," I whispered the last two sentences in Carlisle's ear. He just nodded and looked towards Esme's room, itching to get back.

"Bella, I can't thank you enough for all your help. The police called me and said that they got James out while the ambulance got Esme, so the house should be empty. Edward has a key," Carlisle said kindly before running back to Esme's room. I stood up and pulled Edward's hand, making him stand.

"We're going home and coming back tomorrow," I explained, walking him towards the door. He didn't even argue. Edward drove us in silence and I didn't have the heart to turn the music on as I'd done on the way to the hospital. In a couple minutes, we were stepping out of the Volvo. "Edward, I'm going to go talk to my parents and grab some clothes. I'll be right back."

Edward just nodded before walking into his house. I stomped over to mine and went straight upstairs, grabbing clothes and my toothbrush. I ran downstairs and knocked on Mom and Charlie's room before walking in. I saw that they were asleep. Oh right, it's two A.M. I crept over to Mom's side and shook her until she woke up.

"Bella, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at the hospital?" she said, shaking the sleep from her mind.

"Esme's in a drug induced coma and I brought Edward home so we could get some rest before going back tomorrow. I'll be at Edward's tonight and the hospital again by lunch," I explained. Mom was too sleepy to argue so she let me go. I ran over to Edward's as fast as I could because the dark scares me when I'm in big open spaces. As soon as I was inside, I took off my shoes out of habit before making my way to Edward's room.

"Bella, is that you?" Edward called when I was on the stairs.

"Yeah, it's me," I said before I opened the door. I saw Edward lying on his bed, looking towards the door. "I'm going to change in your bathroom," I said as I walked in the bathroom in the attic and changed into a pair of shorts and a tank top. After brushing my teeth, I stepped out and joined Edward in his bed. Edward didn't respond by wrapping his arms around me like he usually does so I took it upon myself to pull myself closer to him.

"Hello love," I said in what I hoped was the way he always said it as I wrapped my arms around his waist. That got a short laugh out of him. He wrapped his arm around me tightly and I smiled into his shirt.

"Hello love," he whispered in my ear. I stretched my neck so I could see his face and saw the sparkle there. I guess that when I leave him be, he turns into 'zombie Edward'. I guess I'll just have to keep him involved in the real world. I kissed under his chin like I had when I was trying to get his attention earlier.

"That was the kiss you were asking for earlier," I whispered before returning my face to his shirt.

"I can't believe that didn't get my attention. I'm sorry for the way I've been acting." He really did sound sorry, but I think it will take a while until he's totally out of his 'moody' stage.

"It's OK, just try to stay with me," I said, yawning. I was really tired and it was almost three A.M. "'Night Edward, try to sleep," I mumbled, closing my eyes.

"Good night love, sleep tight," he whispered back. Even though my eyes were closed, it took me a while to get to sleep. I can't believe it was less than twenty-four hours ago that Edward and I were joking and singing along loudly to an upbeat song. The image of Esme, lying limply in my arms and bleeding onto my clothes, wouldn't leave my head. I doubt I'll ever forget yesterday.

I do hope, for everyone's sake, that we can all move on.

* * *

**AN: I plan to start woking on another story, so updates may not be as frequent for a while. Sorry about that.**

**FUNFACT: I like writing this story more than "Thanks to the Children" because the Bella in this story is a lot more like me. Her narrating voice fits my perosnality really well.**

**Just felt like including an occasional FUNFACT. Thanks, Emma**


	15. Chapter 15: Awake and Sick

Chapter Fifteen: Awake and Sick

The week passed by quickly. Esme was still in a coma but her body was recovering nicely. She was out of danger and we just had to wait for the drugs to wear off. Edward still went into his 'zombie Edward' phase but he comes back when I call his name now. I called my parents twice a day and they were surprisingly OK with the situation. Well, Mom trusted us and chilled Charlie out. Edward and I have been living at the hospital and going to Edward's to sleep except for when Alice dragged us to her party, even though neither of us really wanted to go.

_Flashback:_

_"Alice, do we have to?" Edward and I whined together. I wanted to get back to the hospital just in case something happened to Esme._

_"Yes you do, you've been holed up in the hospital and will be for a while. Live a little," she said as she pulled us through her door. The whole place was covered in confetti and there was a DJ in one corner. The whole student body must have shown up because the place was packed and hopping._

_"What do you say we dance a couple of songs, drink a soda with the gang, and head back to the hospital?" Edward had to yell for me to hear him in all this noise. I nodded, relieved that we had a game plan. So we danced for a bit and hung out with Rose and Emmett, who were 'fighting'. They were really just pretending to be mad at each other to prove a point. _

_"Can you believe how stupid guys are? One of these days, I might become a nun," Rose told me loudly so that Emmett, who was talking to Edward, would hear._

_"You know, how cool would it be to go to Vegas this weekend? I'm sure there'd be a lot of girls," Emmett said suggestively. After a bit of this Edward and I slipped out, but not before saying goodbye to Alice and Jasper._

_: End Flashback_

Now, Edward and I were sitting in our chair and Edward was reading aloud to me from a book for school. Carlisle hurried through the halls and yelled as soon as he was close enough.

"Edward and Bella, she's awake!!" We jump up and break out into a run. Slowing down at the door, we slip in and make our way to the bed. Esme's eyes are open and she's smiling and happy, if not a bit tired. She looked thin and would for a while, but over all she looked better then she did earlier today.

"Mom, how are you? Are you tired? Can I get you some water?" Edward asked in a rush. Esme just smiled and beckoned for us to come closer.

"I'm fine Edward. I don't need anything, Carlisle already tried. Bella dear, what you told me really helped me get better," Esme said in a stronger voice than I would've expected.

"Wait, you were asleep. You couldn't have heard me, right?" I asked. I thought I was just talking to nothing.

"I couldn't open my eyes, but I could hear you. Thank you for caring and reminding me about what's important in life. I had wanted to give up at one point," she admitted and I shuddered. Esme, brave and beautiful Esme, can't give up. Ever.

"Thank you for not giving up, Esme," I replied. Edward wrapped his arm around my waist and hugged me to him.

"Mom, are you sure you don't need anything?" Edward asked again. Esme rolled her eyes and shook her head at him.

"You need to relax Edward. Everything is fine, I'm just ready to be home again," Esme said calmingly and sternly.

"Dear, you know you can't do that until at least tomorrow afternoon," Carlisle said as he walked in the room, smiling and happy that his wife is awake. "Even when you get home, you'll be confined to the bed for two weeks so you can heal properly."

"Who is going to clean the house? And cook? You two can't clean to save your lives," Esme said with a laugh.

"I'll do it, Esme. My parents can't cook or clean either," I volunteered. I could help Esme and have an excuse to spend time with Edward.

"Honey, you don't have to do that," Esme said, even while in a hospital bed trying to be the good hostess.

"I want to and it's no trouble at all," I argued back, smiling the whole time. Esme gave in after a couple more minutes and Edward and I left the hospital to take a break from everything. After a couple of minutes, we were in Edward's movie room.

"I get to choose what we watch this time," Edward said as he grabbed the remote from my hand. I let him and snuggled up against him. He picked Law and Order, which was OK. After an episode of that, I stood up and made a mad dash for the bathroom. I threw up as soon as I reached the toilet and Edward was right behind me to hold my hair and rub my back. I'd felt funny for the past half hour and I thought it would pass, but apparently it didn't.

"Bella love, are you OK?" Edward asked in the same voice he used with Esme earlier as I slumped down against the bathtub.

"I'll be fine in a couple of days," was all I could say. I wasn't OK. I felt really crappy. "Could you call my parents and tell them not to worry but explain that I'm sick?" I asked because I didn't want to have to listen to Mom worry when I felt this bad. I'll let Edward do that.

"Of course, I'll be right back," Edward said, standing up after kissing my forehead lightly. I rested my head up against the cool lip of the bathtub and closed my eyes. Edward was back quickly and started to rub my back. That just made me throw up again. Edward held my hair again.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for that to make you throw up," Edward apologized quickly. I would've stopped him earlier but I couldn't move anything right now.

"It's not your fault. Could you rub my shoulders instead?" I asked to give him something to do so he won't worry.

"Whatever I can do to help. If you need anything at all, tell me. Would you be more comfortable in my room?" He sounded like a mother hen clucking over his chicks.

"I will later but right now I need to be close to a toilet," I moaned. Edward kept rubbing my shoulders and holding my hair for over an hour. When I felt like I wouldn't puke again, Edward carried me up the stair, careful not to shake me, and set me down on his bed.

"Do you want some water? Or something to drink?" I shook my head and pulled all the covers on Edward's bed. "I'll get you another blanket then," he said before digging around his closet. He returned with a couple of soft, old fashioned quilts.

"Thanks, Edward," I mumbled before snuggling even deeper into the blankets. I've had the stomach virus before and I knew that I'd be feeling a lot better in a couple of days. I closed my eyes and yawned widely.

"Sleep tight love," I heard Edward whisper as he kissed my forehead. With that, I fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

I woke up feeling a lot better. I opened my eyes and saw that it was dark outside and knew I'd slept half the day. "Good night Bella," Edward said from beside me. He must have joined me later. I responded with a yawn and a stretch. "You were really cold this afternoon and your sleep talking told me that you thought your toes were going to fall off."

"You've been listening to my sleep talking all week, haven't you?" I demanded hoarsely. My throat was really dry and cracked.

"It helps me understand you better. When you sleep talk, you have no filter," he explained.

"What do I say?" I moaned into the blankets. I can't imagine what he's heard.

"A lot of things that you would never tell me if you were conscious. But don't worry, what I've overheard I will never tell another soul," he mock swore, trying to make me feel better. I sighed deeply but I stopped quickly because it hurt my raw throat. "Are you OK? Does your throat hurt? Do you want some water?" he asked in quick succession.

"I'm fine, yes it hurts, and ginger ale would be nice," I said weekly, trying to answer all of the questions fired at me.

"I'll be right back, hang on." He dashed down the stairs and returned thirty seconds later with a sippy cup of Sprite. "We didn't have ginger ale, but I found this-"

"It's fine, thank you," I croaked out, taking a sip. It soothed my throat a little, but I knew it would just take time to heal all the way.

"Are you sure that you don't want a cough drop or something?" Edward asked desperately. He was sweet and all, but it was getting on my nerves a bit.

"Edward, just be with me. Stop asking if I need anything because if I do, I'll let you know," I said, trying to communicate my point without hurting his feelings. He just nodded and climbed back in the bed with me, warming up the sheets even more.

"Is this helping?" Edward asked and I just rolled my eyes.

"It's helping tremendously. Good night, Edward," I said sternly.

"Good night, Bella love," he answered with a laugh. I snuggled up against him and sighed lightly so I wouldn't hurt my throat.

I don't think anyone can take care of a sick person better than Edward.

* * *

**AN: So, that's the fifteenth chapter. I can't believe I've gotten this far already. I remember writing the begining...**

**FUNFACT: My family calls the TV remote a 'zapper'. Dad started calling it that when we were little and we never stopped.**

**I didn't get as many reveiws as I wanted for the last chapter... Thanks, Emma**


	16. Chapter 16: Home and MTV

Chapter Sixteen:

"Edward Anthony Mason Cullen, I want to see Bella! Now!" I heard Esme scream as they rolled her inside.. I can't believe someone could hurt so badly they would yell that loud. I felt a lot better now, but I still couldn't walk and, though I wasn't nauseated, my stomach felt achy and funny.

"Mom, she can't walk quite yet and it's not good for you to be around a sick person," Edward told her calmly.

"What are your muscles for? And I'm on all kinds of anti-biotics from those shots and IVs, so I'm more protected than you are. Carry her down and she can lie on my bed with me. We'll be sick together," Esme told him firmly. I heard Edward sigh and stomp up the stairs, throwing the door open.

"Come on, use those muscles," I joked as he picked me up bridal style and carried me down the stairs. He gave me a mock glare before setting me on the king size bed that belongs to Carlisle and Esme.

"Oh Bella, you poor thing! How are you doing, dear?" Esme asked me kindly and I rolled my eyes. Only the Cullens.

"I'm doing a lot better today. Yesterday afternoon I felt pretty crappy, but Edward was a lot of help," I said as I looked her over. She was thinner and she'd had her long, beautiful hair cut into a pixie cut. She had some bandages left and the skin that I could see was the yellowish of healing bruises.

"Yes, my son is quite the catch, isn't he?" Esme said with an evil twinkle in her eyes.

"Umm, yes he is," I admitted with a blush, thankful that Edward and Carlisle had left for the store.

"Don't be embarrassed, I'm not blind," she said with a laugh that I had to join. My eyes flicked to the TV and saw it was on MTV.

"You watch Parental Control?" I asked, surprised. Esme rolled her eyes and shook her head in mock exasperation.

"I've been watching MTV since before you were born. And I love watching how all these parents deal with their kids dating horrible people. I'm glad I don't have to worry about that, and I don't plan on fussing over it." She smiled over at me and I grinned back.

"Thanks, I would hate it if you didn't like me," I said as we both turned our attention to the TV. There was a girl on there who was crazy and making out with their son in front of them. "That's just tacky," I commented.

"I know, isn't it? You make out with Edward, of course, but I don't have to see it," Esme said nonchalantly. I turned and saw her lips turned up in a sneaky smile.

"You are one interesting woman, Esme," was all I could think to say.

"I can't believe these parents would be _that _mean to her. I think it's their fault their son is dating someone so horrible. They should have taught him better judgment," Esme commented later.

"I'd never thought about that before." It was cool to have a parent's perspective. "Would you ever go on this show?"

"No, because I won't have this problem." She said this confidently and surely. Wow, my parents would never trust me that much. At that moment, Edward and Carlisle walked in.

"Are you OK?" they asked at the same time. Esme and I looked at each other before rolling our eyes at the most amazing men in the world.

"No, I think I'm going to throw up again," I said sarcastically.

"No, I think I'm going to go into cardiac arrest," Esme said, following my lead..

"We're just trying to be helpful," Edward defended them. I love him desperately, but he can be overprotective.

"You two have been through a lot recently and we just want to help out," Carlisle said, following Edward's lead.

"Edward, call my parents and invite them over. They haven't seen me in a while and are probably getting pretty anxious," I told Edward. This house was my house by this point. I loved my attic room, but Edward isn't in there as often as in his own room. I might have to change that soon.

"Of course love, I'll be right back," he said as he kissed my forehead quickly before rushing out of the room.

"You've got him whipped," Carlisle announced, shaking his head in mock shame.

" Carlisle dear, I need another pillow," Esme said suddenly.

"Of course honey, I'll be right back," he said before kissing her cheek and hurried out. Esme and I started cramping, we were laughing so hard.

"I see where Edward gets his manners from now," I managed through my laugh. Esme's eyes were streaming.

"Bella, how are you?" Mom cries as she walks in, Charlie and Edward following behind her. She stops as she takes in the scene before her. Esme and I start to calm down and eventually I could answer.

"I'm better today, though a little bit weak because I haven't eaten since yesterday morning," I explained.

"And Esme, I'm so sorry. If you need anything at all, call me," Mom said, kneeling by her side of the bed.

"Now you sound like my husband and son, Renee, but I appreciate it," Esme joked kindly.

"If you just need girly stuff or to talk, call me. I owe you for all you've done for Bella," Mom said and I blushed.

"No, we owe her for keeping our family together while I was in a coma," Esme said and I blushed even harder. I opened my mouth to speak, but Edward put his hand over my mouth and started massaging my shoulders to keep me quiet. It worked like a charm. Mom looked at me and raised her eyebrows. I knew there'd be questions later.

"Thank you for letting me live in your house for the past couple weeks. Edward, can you carry me back to my room?" I asked. "I'm ready to use my own shampoo and toothpaste."

"Only you," I heard him mutter as he waited for me to hug Esme and Carlisle . Once I was done, he promised to be home for supper and picked me up bridal style again. I nestled into him and breathed deeply.

"Why can't you carry me like that, Charlie?" I heard Mom ask from behind us.

"Jealous, Mom?" I teased lightly. I heard her laugh and Charlie mumble something under his breath. I looked up and was surprised to see Edward blushing. "The great Edward Cullen, blushing?" I teased again, softly so Mom and Charlie wouldn't hear us.

"You can be such a child sometimes," Edward muttered as he carried me up the stairs, my parents deciding not to follow us.

"You know you love is," I said as he tried to set me down on my feet, but my legs were still weak and I collapsed sideways. I pulled Edward down with me and before I knew it, I was lying on top of him. "I'm sorry, Edward," I cried.

"Don't be. It makes it easier to do this." He kissed me, hard and long. When he pulled back, we were both still on the floor and out of breath. "Are you still sorry?"

"Nope, I should be, but I can't seem to find it in myself to be sorry anymore," I replied seriously, but I was smiling.

"Good," he said and wrapped his arms around my waist. He didn't seem to want to get up.

"Umm, Edward? I'd appreciate it if we could move this love fest to the bed," I said; ready to get off the floor. He just raised his eyebrows at me and, realizing the double meaning to my words, I blushed and slapped him lightly.

"You know what I meant," I grumbled. Edward just laughed and slipped out from under me, before helping me up and into my bed. "As much as I like sleeping with you, I'd rather be in my own sheets. No offense, but they are a lot softer than yours," I said.

"I don't take particular notice of the softness of my sheets. But I'll climb over here tonight, if it makes you feel better."

"It does," I said, smiling up at him. "Would you pass me my Mac please?" I asked once I was settled. I hadn't seen it for over a week.

"I don't understand how this Mac is so different from any other computers," Edward said as he handed it to me. I opened it immediately and turned it on.

"Because it's mine. It's special because it has everything on here and won't stop working, ever," I retorted seriously. "I need to write tonight. I've got all these words in my head and they need to be on here." I pointed at my Mac.

"When you're done with them, email them to me and I'll make the music for them. I still need to record you soon," he reminded me and I sighed. I'd never sang for him on purpose before and I was nervous about it.

"OK, we'll do that when I'm feeling better." That was a good excuse for now.

"I need to go, but I'll see you tonight," Edward said as he stood up. He kissed my forehead before he walked down the stairs and I watched him go morosely. I shook my head, clearing it, before I started typing quickly. I don't remember how long I'd been typing before I got an IM from Edward.

E: hey love. how are you feeling?

B: just fine, like i've been all afternoon.

That man will be the death of me, I swear.

* * *

**AN: I know that took forever and it's short, but I'm in North Carolina and won't have access to a Word program. I will be able to check my email on my new iTouch!! I've also decided to stop doing chapter titles, just a heads up.**

**FUNFACT: I don't watch MTV. I enjoy the History channel, House, and NCIS.**

**Thanks and sorry it took so long, Emma**


	17. Chapter 17: Grandma Swan

Chapter Seventeen: Grandma Swan

The next morning, I was positively stir-crazy. Whatever I had must have been a twenty-four hour bug, because I felt perfectly fine. I even cooked dinner around two and had cleaned my room by lunchtime. I was going down stairs to watch some mindless TV when I got a call from Mom.

"Hi Mom, what's up?" I asked once I picked up. I looked at the clock and saw it was not even three yet which meant she should still be at work.

"How are you feeling sweetie?" she asked a question in turn, ignoring my question.

"I'm great. I made dinner and cleaned a bit," I answered cautiously.

"I hope you made enough for four," Mom sighed. Excuse me, what? "Grandma Swan decided that she wants to spend a week at our house for Charlie's birthday, which is in a couple of days. She called me five minutes ago and said she'd be here in time for a seven o'clock dinner."

"I'll clean and pick out clothes for all of us if you go to the grocery store for food," I replied as calmly as I could. I was trying to calm Mom down because I knew she would be freaking out on the inside.

"I love you so much Bella. I'll be home in a couple of hours because I've got to finish up at school," she gushed before hanging up.

"Let the games begin," I muttered sarcastically under my breath. Grandma Swan (who made me call her Grandmother to her face) was uptight and had to have everything up to her standards. Mom was not up to her standards. She is old fashioned and frank, saying what she meant and not caring if it is hurtful or untactful. She also had _a lot _of money and held the keys to my college fund. I can see why Charlie wanted to marry someone as erratic as Mom because he had to grow up in such a structured and sheltered life.

Edward knocked on the door while I was picking out Mom and Charlie's clothes for tonight's supper, which had to be nice and involve two forks and the like. "Come in," I called, still buried in Charlie's closet. I felt two arms wrap around my waist and spin me around.

"What kind of greeting was that?" he whispered before he kissed me softly. I melted and, for a moment, forgot about my grandmother. But, alas, all good things must come to an end and he pulled away, causing the reason I was in my parent's room to flood back.

"You OK love? You look tense," he said, massaging the back of my neck lightly. I sighed into it and glanced at a clock. It was just after four and I'd done everything I could do without the food. I deserved a break, I decided and led Edward up to me room. I sat on Edward's lap on my bed and leaned against his chest while he leaned against the wall.

"My grandmother is coming," I said through clenched teeth.

"Great, I'll get to meet her," Edward responded, not getting it.

"She can't know you exist," I said quickly and louder than I meant to. Seeing his hurt face, I quickly amended the comment. "She's very old fashioned and she'd think that if you weren't 'courting' me properly, I must be pregnant. 'Courting properly' for her means that you can only kiss my fingertips, unless we were engaged, then you could kiss my hand," I explained, burying my face in his collar bone.

"Oh," Edward breathed, getting it. "How long will she be here?"

"She's coming tonight after giving us a six hour warning and will stay the week. She decided that she wanted to be here for Charlie's birthday in a couple days," I mumbled into his shirt.

"Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry," Edward whispered into my hair. He pulled me even closer and I took comfort in just being near him. I didn't hear Mom open the front door or hear her coming up the stairs. I didn't know she was home until the door flew open.

"Bella, I got-" she started but cut off when she saw how we were sitting. I pulled my head out of Edward's chest and sighed, standing up. "Sorry Edward, but I need Bella. I'm sure Bella has explained, but it would be best if she didn't know you existed. If she did, it would be best if she didn't know you two are involved."

"I understand Renee. I'll leave shortly," Edward said respectfully. Mom slipped out and Edward lost his 'adult' face. He hugged me tightly, saying "I'll see you tonight and tomorrow at school. I'm glad you're feeling better, by the way."

"I am too. Make sure to come tonight so I can vent and such, OK?" I made him promise before I kissed him hard, knowing I won't get to spend as much time with him as I'm used to. After pulling back, we said our goodbyes and trooped down stairs.

"Edward, I'm so sorry about this," Mom apologized as he walked out the door. I sighed yet again and started cooking some really fancy spaghetti while Mom took out the etiquette book to see where all the spoons and forks go. Charlie came home soon after Edward left and dressed quickly. Mom and I both threw on our conservative dresses that we have just for Christmas, which is usually the only time we see or hear from Grandma Swan. I was putting the finishing touches on the pasta when we heard a knock on the door.

It was like in the movies when every head, even the dogs and rats, turn towards the door. Everything was silent for a solid three seconds before Mom started walking towards the door. She opened the door, revealing a woman of about 5' 10" with gray hair put up in a harsh bun. She was dressed in a dress similar to something Mary Poppins would wear except she's not cool enough to have an umbrella.

"Welcome to our home. It's not much but I hope it will be enough for you, Mrs. Swan," Mom said in a voice that I hardly recognized. Grandma Swan sniffed the air with her nose stuck up.

"I'm sure it will be fine. Where will my chauffer park the car?" she asked in a clear, ringing voice. She brought her chauffer?

"He can have the spot in our garage," Charlie said, walking into the room in a suit. He nodded at his mother and she merely nodded back. No hugging, no saying 'I missed you so much', no signs of love or familiarity. It was always like this when she came to visit.

"Are we going to stand in the doorway or are you going to invite me in for dinner?" Grandma Swan said, walking into the house without an invitation. Charlie offered his arm to her regally and they walked into our tiny eating area, which was fixed up as nice as we could make it. Once we sat down and the appetizers I'd made were served, her eyes finally turned to me. "How are you doing in school?" she asked sharply.

"Very well, Grandmother. I have a four-point-oh GPA and I extra credits," I replied politely, answering her normal question.

"You're doing better than your mother, in any case. If you earn it, I will provide your education," she said, not caring that Mom had a three-point-nine GPA. That was always the promise, that if I earn it then I can have a free ride through college. That's one of the few reasons we put up with her.

"Thank you, Grandmother. I'll get the main course," I said, excusing myself. Once inside the safety of the kitchen, I started laughing. That woman was over the top and crazy. I hate having to pretend that we always live like this. I'm incredibly glad that Charlie went the opposite way of his mother because I'd hate to live like this. I brought out the fancy looking pasta before taking my own seat.

"Bella, are you courting any eligible men?" Grandma Swan asked as she rested her sharp gaze on me.

"No Grandmother. I want to focus on my education now," I replied and I managed to keep a straight face. I assume Charlie assumed to keep Edward a secret from Grandma Swan. She nodded and returned to eating, though she ate so carefully it was almost an art form. The rest of dinner passed roughly and formally. Grandma Swan addressed a couple more insults at Mom and asked about Charlie's work and my classes some more.

"I believe I shall retire for the night. I will see you all on the morrow," she said before gliding into the guest bedroom that we had to go through the whole nine yards for. The three of us let out a huge sigh of relief that we all got through the first dinner. I'm not going to think about the rest of the week just yet. We flopped onto the couch and stared at the wall for a good half hour.

"I'll clean the kitchen since you cooked," Mom finally said. I nodded, stood up, made my way up stairs, changed into PJs, and waited for Edward to come find me. It only took five minutes for Edward to come through my window. I smiled when I saw him and he smiled back comfortingly.

"You had to wear that dress?" he asked me when he saw the dress.

"Of course I did. You've got to dress to impress," I said with mock seriousness.

"I'm sure you looked beautiful in it, love," Edward said in a sincere serious voice. He was such a sap, but I'm not going to say I didn't like it. "How bad was it?" he asked sympathetically as he sat me on his lap again.

"It's as bad as it usually is, though this time she's staying all week instead of two nights," I complained. "I hate living like this, all uptight and formal. Families shouldn't be formal and we shouldn't try to live in eighteenth century England either," I added as an after thought.

"It'll be fine. It's only a week, remember that." How can you not be comforted with such a beautiful voice whispering in your ear?

"As long as you're sure," I muttered and I felt him laugh lightly.

"You can always tell her that you're making a 'call' on my mother so you can come chill with Mom and me," he suggested. I thought about it and decided I'd try it when I really need to get out.

"Good night," I sighed and pushed everything out of my mind except for our steady breathing.

* * *

**AN: Thanks a bunches to Music ADD all of her amazing help. I know this chapter has taken forever but I got it up as fast as I could.**

**FUNFACT: I have long, dark brown hair that's really wavy and has a lot of body. I plan to cut it off and donate it to Locks of Love when it's long enough.**

**PS I changed my mind about the chapter names. There will be titles again. Thanks, Emma**


	18. Chapter 18: Almost Back to Normal

Chapter Eighteen: Almost Back to Normal

"Bella, I have to go now," Edward whispered into my ear.

"No, don't leave yet," I mumbled and drew the warmth that's Edward closer.

"Bella love, I really need to go. What would your parents and grandma think?" He was trying so hard, but his logic just wasn't working.

"Um…what?" I muttered. I heard Edward sigh before he kissed me and wrapped his arms around my waist tightly. It felt like my mind had been hit by lightening and I kissed him back, suddenly aware of my surroundings. He pulled back and both of us were breathing heavily.

"I need to go before your parents catch us," he reminded me again. I sighed but let him up, watching him climb through my window. I got up and dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, deciding that I didn't care what Alice and Rose said. Over my clothes, I put a wool jacket and an ankle-length skirt that had Velcro at the waist for an easy quick change.

"Where is Isabella?" I heard Grandma Swan's harsh voice downstairs. I rinsed the toothpaste out of my mouth and scrambled to get my stuff downstairs. Grandma Swan took in my appearance and sniffed a bit. "At least she wears decent clothes to school unlike the rest of her generation. When I was a girl…" After that long story, she turned to me. "Isabella, what time do you get home from school?"

I sighed and told her, "Around three thirty, Grandmother." Now I can't just say that I usually get home from school at six thirty.

Breakfast went by slowly but I couldn't get away until I would definitely make Edward and me late. I ran outside quickly and nearly tripped over the long skirt, but I eventually managed to make it to the Volvo without breaking anything crucial.

"You look beautiful in old fashioned clothes," Edward smirked at me as he started to drive way over the speed limit to get us to school before the first bell.

"Oh ha ha, at least I didn't get a lecture on why I can't walk out of the house in normal clothes," I said, the first bit heavily sarcastic.

"No really, you look better than anyone else I know in old fashioned clothes. I do miss seeing your skin though," he winked at me, causing me to roll my eyes back. As soon as we stopped, I hopped out and threw off my sweater and skirt, tossing them in the backseat. I grabbed my bag and noticed Edward staring at me.

"What, you didn't think I was going to wear that all day, did you?" I said as I started jogging towards the school. We were the only people in the parking lot and I estimated we had less than forty-five seconds to get to class. In mid stride, Edward pulled me close to him and kissed me quickly.

"I'll see you at lunch," he said before running in the opposite direction. I smiled as I ran as fast as I could without banging into the lockers and the bell rang right as I got one foot through the door.

"Bella, you're late. Glad to see you back," Mrs. Brown said without looking up from her desk.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Brown, it won't happen again," I smiled sweetly and took my seat by Alice. She reached across the aisle and squeezed my hand, her eyes sparkling. As soon as class was over, Alice hugged me with surprising force.

"I missed you, Bella. Are you feeling better?" she asked as we walked out of the classroom.

"I feel back to normal now." I saw her face go from concerned to mischievous.

"How are you and my cousin doing?" she asked slyly.

"Why don't you ask him?" I suggested. She was about to complain but I'd already slipped into my second period class. I smiled at Angela widely when I saw her.

"You and Edward haven't been at lunch lately. Is there anything I can do?" she asked, not trying to pry. I love Alice and Angela equally, but they were so different.

"Thank you, but we're fine now." The morning passed in a blur of learning and boredom. As soon as I stepped out of my last class before lunch, a strong arm slipped around my waist. "Miss me?" I joked as we got in the lunch line.

"I always miss you, love," he replied seriously. I was distracted by his eyes and didn't notice him pay for my tray as well. I pulled out my money to pay, but the lady behind the counter stopped me.

"The young man has already paid for it," she told me. I glared at him but decided to argue later. I was walking towards our usual lunch table when I got tackled from the side. Edward got a hold on my tray and took it away from me before it hit the floor.

"I missed you, Bella!" Emmett boomed in my ear.

"I…can't…breathe," I managed. Edward, my knight in shining armor, saved me.

"Emmett, do you mind?" he asked quietly and stole me from my captor. I smiled up at him, relieved.

"She knows she loves being in my arms," Emmett boasted as he flexed his admittedly impressive muscles.

"I don't want to know what you're talking about, but I bet you deserve this," Rose said, slapping his head from behind.

"I most certainly did not," Emmett whined as we all laughed and sat down. Lunch passed in a blur of talking and I noticed Edward contributing more than ever before. I smiled smugly, giving myself a mental pat on the back. Edward and I stood up to walk to Biology. We took our seats and sat as close as the chairs would allow. My leg was against his and our elbows were touching.

"Edward!" I heard an annoying voice call from the door. Jessica. I almost laughed out loud when I saw Edward's face. "You haven't been at school the past week," she said, coming closer.

"I was here yesterday," he said softly and politely stiff. Jessica didn't respond. Instead, she leaned over me and put her elbows on the table. He put her cleavage in Edward's face and I saw him cringe.

"I missed you," she whispered, trying to sound seductive. Edward grabbed my hand under the table and rubbed his thumb on my palm.

"Hey Jessica?" he asked as the bell rang.

"Yes Edward?" Umm…gag.

"Class is starting." Jessica looked disappointed but covered it up by winking before walking to her seat. "Sorry about that," Edward muttered under his breath, squeezing my hand even tighter. I wanted to kiss him but I didn't think the teacher would like that. The rest of the school day went by fast until the last period.

"Bella, where have you been?" Jessica asked, falsely cheery.

"I had to stay with Edward's mother and then I had the stomach virus," I explained, trying to sound normal instead of a little disgusted.

"Oh, so you're close with Edward's family?" she asked as her face dropped.

"Yeah, I'm always over there helping Esme cook or Carlisle paint," I over exaggerated. I was over there all the time even though I didn't usually help. I should change that, I mused.

"That's…wonderful," she grimaced. I think it was setting in that she wasn't going to get Edward. She could try, of course, but it will be futile. As soon as class was dismissed, I ran out the door because I was ready to see Edward. But, being me, I tripped over someone's foot as I got out the door.

"Bella, I'm sorry," I heard Angela say as two arms caught me before I hit the ground. Edward lifted me up and I straightened my shirt as I stood up.

"It's fine Angela. I would've fallen over air if you weren't there. You being there just makes me feel a bit more normal," I joked as the three of us started to walk towards the parking lot.

"Thanks and I'll see you tomorrow, Bella, Edward," Angela smiled as she walked towards the bus that she rode with the younger students.

"I think I'll keep you around so you can catch me." Edward jokingly bowed and opened the door.

"My pleasure, princess," he teased as he started up the Volvo. I rolled my eyes and flipped on the Fray CD. The soothing familiarity of the music relaxed me and I forgot about what was waiting at home. "Bella, unless you want to be locked in the car you might want to get out." I could hear the amusement in his voice.

"I think I'll stay here and you can pretend to be me until my grandmother leaves," I suggested brightly, getting a laugh out of him. I stepped out of the car into the garage before getting the 'appropriate' clothes out of the trunk. I changed quickly and walked out of the garage.

"What, no kiss goodbye?" Edward whined, running out behind me and grabbing my wrist, pulling me closer.

"My grandmother-" I started, but Edward's kiss cut me off. His arms wrapped tightly on my waist, pressing me closer. I pulled back and smiled widely. When I had the breath, I warned, "If Grandma Swan saw us, I'm blaming you."

"See you tonight, love," he breathed, smiling. I finally turned around and walked into the house with a stupid smile still on my face.

"Isabella Marie Swan!" I just jinxed myself, I know it.

Ho-ly crap.

* * *

**AN: I know, I know. My updates are slower now that school has started again. I'm sorry and I'll try to get the up faster. I'm juggling two stories. My other story is 'Amazing Catch' if you want to check it out.**

**FUNFACT: It's my birthday Sunday, January 11th! My sixteenth birthday will be 1/11/11.**

**Thank you for reading and a shout out to Music ADD, my unofficial Beta, for everything she does. Emma**


	19. Chapter 19: Busted

Chapter Nineteen: Busted

"Who is that boy?" Grandma Swan demanded. I grimaced and turned around slowly. She did not look happy in the least.

"Edward Cullen, he's my boyfriend," I said as confidently as I could muster. I was already in deep so I might as well tell the truth.

"Why did you allow him to touch anything other than your hand?" she asked severely. I could tell she was holding back.

"Because we are not as old fashioned as you are, Grandmother. Where are my parents?" I asked, changing the subject quickly. Maybe, if the world blows up right in front of us, she will forget she just saw me sucking face with some seemingly random guy in the front yard.

"Your father is at work and your mother is lying down with a migraine. Are you pregnant?" she asked sharply, not missing a beat.

"No, I'm definitely not," I defended quickly. This is the worst attempt at a casual conversation that I have ever experienced.

"Are you sleeping with him?"

"No," I said, but it came out shakier than I meant it to be. Technically, I sleep in the same bed with him, though we just sleep.

"Isabella, I know when you are lying to me." Crap, how will I explain this? That's when Mom walked in.

"Bella, I think we need to talk." CRAP, this just went from bad to worse.

"I don't. I'm not having sex with Edward, or anyone for that matter. I think that everything is just fine and we can pretend this never happened. Mom, you didn't hear this conversation and Grandmother, you never saw the kiss in the front yard. See, everything is just fine," I suggested, bordering on hysterical.

"I want you upstairs in your room now, Bella," Mom ordered, not budging. Well, doesn't this suck? I walked up the stairs with Mom directly on my heels. I plopped on the bed while Mom started pacing in front of me. "I suggest you start from the beginning before I do something rash."

"Well, when I got home from school, Edward pulled me back to him and kissed me. Grandma Swan saw it and flipped. She asked who Edward was and whether I was pregnant and…if I was sleeping with him." That's where I stopped when Mom shot me a hard look.

"And are you?" she asked, completely exasperated.

"I'm not having sex with him," I hedged carefully. She seemed to debate in her head before her expression hardened.

"I am going to have to believe you. I trust you enough to tell me. But explain to me this: why did it sound like you were lying?" she asked again, this time less angry and more resigned. I took a deep breath, possibly my last one after what I'm about to say.

"Edward and I sleep in the same bed, but we _just _sleep," I insisted. I watched Mom's face morph into an angry and thoroughly confused expression.

"And how, pray tell, does he get in?" she asked, stressing the last two words.

"Through my window," I mumbled, looking down at the floor.

"Excuse me?" Mom ordered. Now she was getting even more upset than before. I took another breath and realized that I was lucky to have been able to take that breath.

"Through my window," I said, clearer this time.

"Oh my gosh," Mom exclaimed. "How does he get through the window?"

"He uses a wooden board and climbs from his window to mine," I explained still looking down. Mom sighed deeply and I chanced a glance up, seeing Mom rub the back of her neck.

"I'm not mad," she admitted, though she still looked stressed. I looked up at her, shock written all over my face. "I won't tell Charlie either. I know how you feel and I am just going to have to trust you. Trust you enough to know that you'll be responsible. This can be our little secret with a few restrictions. Don't do anything I wouldn't want you to. If anything, _anything_, changes you have to tell me immediately. I want to be able to pretend I don't know about this. You've already been doing this for a couple weeks and will probably keep on doing it whether I knew about it or not. Am I understood?"

"Yes Mom, thank you," I cried out, catapulting off the bed and giving her a hug.

"One thing I will not do is talk to your grandmother, so you should go deal with that now before she burns you off the family tree," Mom told me smugly.

"I guess I lucked out with the slack you've given me. Have I told you what an amazing mom you are and how your wrinkles have started to fade as of late?" I smiled at her and even got a laugh. I can't believe my luck. First it was terrible and now I'm the luckiest I've ever been. "You wanna be there when I talk to her?" I asked, falsely bright.

"I think I'll give you a fifteen minute head start," she laughed and pushed me down the stairs. At the bottom, I steeled myself for an atomic bomb to go off in my living room.

"Isabella, I've been waiting for you," Grandma Swan said, her words sounding kind of like a line from a horror film. "I've decided that, as long as you plan on marrying him, I will pay for your education. I must, however, insist on a dinner with the young man and his parents. I will see you at six o'clock for dinner, Isabella."

Well then, that was easy. I watched her as she closed the door to the guest bedroom. Mom, hearing the door close, came downstairs.

"So, what's the verdict?" she asked me, leaning against a wall.

"Edward, Esme, and Carlisle are coming over for dinner and I have to plan on marrying Edward for her to pay for college," I summed up shortly.

"Just know that you don't have to get serious because of Grandma Swan." Mom's forehead was crinkled as she watched me.

"Oh, but I think it's serious anyway. Can I go over to Edward's before dinner to tell them about tomorrow?" I asked. Mom merely nodded, still preoccupied with my first comment. I quickly ran through the yard and walked right through their front door. Even in my rush to talk to Edward, I smiled when I saw Esme was standing up and cooking in the kitchen.

"Bella, it's lovely you dear," Esme called from the kitchen. I paused to hug her before running up the stairs and opening Edward's door without knocking.

"Bella?" Edward sat up quickly from where he was lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Grandma Swan saw us," I told him as I started pacing in front of him.

"Love, I am so sorry but you need to calm down and talk to me," he said softly and grabbed my wrist as I was walking. He pulled me down into his lap and tucked my head under his chin.

"I need to move," I complained and tried to squirm out of Edward's arms. He held firm.

"You need to calm down, love." He started to massage my shoulders lightly and I leaned into his hands. It helped exponentially and I began to relax. "Good girl. Now, tell me what's wrong?" he crooned in my ear, continuing to work his magic.

"Well, to sum it up, Mom knows that you're sleeping in my room but won't tell Charlie as long as I follow some guidelines. Grandma Swan will still pay for my college as long as you and your parents come over for dinner tomorrow and…we plan to get married," I explained quickly. I didn't want to scare him away.

"Honey, quit tensing up," he scolded as he relaxed my neck and shoulders again. "Don't worry about anything; everything will turn out all right in the end."

"How can you say that?" I groaned.

"Because I love you and that means everything will turn out fine," he said surely. I was about to say something before I froze. I turned to face him, my eyes wide. Edward looked down at me, his lips twitching a bit. "Yes, I know I said it."

"You…you love me?" I'm sure I looked pretty slow and idiotic, but how can someone like Edward love someone like…me?

"Of course, love," he smirked and leaned down to kiss me, but I moved a bit to avoid it. He looked hurt and confused.

"Why? Why do you love me?" I asked him, needing to know he wasn't just playing with me. Now he looked hurt and shocked.

"Bella…how can you not know? Not know that everything about you draws me in and every fault of yours makes me love you more? You were patient with me when James came back and helped my mother more than you realize. You have become what keeps me grounded and my parents already think of you as a daughter. I honestly, truly love you Bella. You don't have to say anything-"

I put my hand over his mouth to cut him off. I searched his eyes with mine and only found love and adoration. How can I generate that kind of emotion? Edward moved my hand and kissed me softly, showing me how much he loves me through a simple kiss. I don't know why or how he loves me, but I'll take what I can get. We pulled back at the same time and the love in his eyes was almost overpowering.

"I love you too," I breathed and kissed him again, this time not so gentle. He pulled back first and kissed my forehead softly, his hands massaging my shoulders again. By then, I was lying beside him, curled into his side with his arms reaching over my torso to get to my shoulders.

"So, what should I wear for this dinner tomorrow?" he asked nonchalantly. I rolled my eyes at the ceiling.

"That was the most unromantic subject change I have ever heard."

"Come on, you know you love me." I hit his chest lightly.

What? Just because I love him doesn't mean he can get cocky with me.

* * *

**AN: Yay, they love each other! So, a huge thanks to Music ADD for all the amazing things she does, especailly for this chapter. **

**FUNFACT: I'm a PK (preist kid). Im not your average PK, though. I'm Epsicopalian which means I'm a cool PK. And, in the tradition of PKs, I will probably turn out to be a horrible kid. **

**Thanks you for reading and reviewing, Emma**


	20. Chapter 20: Dinner With the Devil

Chapter Twenty: Dinner With the Devil

I glanced in the mirror again, making sure I would hold up to Grandma Swan's eagle eye. I was wearing a more modern dress that went down to my calves with quarter length sleeves. It isn't my most flattering evening dress, but it's better than the majority of 'appropriate' clothes. I heard the doorbell and ran downstairs quickly so I could open the door.

"Bella dear, thank you for inviting us over for dinner," Esme said sweetly, hugging me tightly. She was dressed demurely in a knee-length, red satin dress that was loose everywhere it needed to be.

"Hey Carlisle, come in," I smiled at him, giving him a quick hug. He was dressed in faded jeans and a navy button up shirt that looked just nice enough for the circumstances.

"Good evening, love," Edward whispered softly so that no one other than his parent could hear. His eyes exuded love into me as he kissed my fingers quickly. Esme and Carlisle were blocking us from view as they talked to Mom and Charlie. I loved the two of them.

"You must be Edward Cullen," Grandma Swan's shrill voice rang over everyone in the living room. Edward looked up and gave her a modest smile, still holding my hand.

"Yes ma'am," he said politely, kissing the hand she stuck out for him. It seems I've grabbed myself a southern gentleman. Grandma Swan melted a little bit.

"It's wonderful to meet Bella's grandmother. She is a very special girl," Esme said, stepping forward to shake Grandma Swan's hand. "I'm Esme, Edward's mother."

"You look far too young to have a grown child," my wonderful grandmother felt the need to say.

"Well, thank you," Esme smiled. I'm glad that no one is taking my grandmother's words to heart.

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Swan," Carlisle said, kissing Grandma Swan's hand. "I'm Carlisle, Edward's father."

"You also look too young to have an almost adult child," she sniffed.

"I'm not his biological father," Carlisle explained with a smile made of honey. Oh crap, I thought as Grandma Swan turned to Esme.

"You had Edward out of wedlock?" We were still standing in the living room, which made this whole conversation even more awkward.

"Yes, I did," Esme answered straightly. She wasn't going to be ashamed about having Edward and that's something I respect about her.

"Shall we go sit down in the dining room?" Mom asked, trying to divert the attention to something else. All of the adults walked into the dining room while Edward offered to help me in the kitchen.

"I'm sorry you have to deal with her, Bella," Edward whispered so our parents would hear us.

"I don't want to talk about it," I told him flatly. Ugh, this has not been the best day. I was stirring the gumbo when I felt arms wrap around my torso.

"Bella love, how are you?" he whispered in my ear. I can't think straight when he is this close to me. It wasn't fair at all.

"Umm…" I managed. I stopped stirring and flipped around to face him. He kissed me and I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down close. I pulled back sooner than I'd have liked.

"I wasn't done," Edward breathed and went in for another kiss. I turned to the side and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before flipping around again to stir the gumbo. "What was that for?" he asked a little too loudly, sounding hurt.

"Our parents and my grandmother are on the other side of that wall," I reminded him quietly. I heard him grumble something under his breath but I kept stirring. I got everything ready in another minute and both of us grabbed some plates before walking into the dining room.

"This smells delicious, Bella," Carlisle smiled at me as I set his plate in front of him.

"Thanks, Carlisle," I smiled back. I love Edward's parents. Have I mentioned that before?

"I'm surprised it didn't take longer," Esme winked at me so only Carlisle and I could see. I blushed and didn't answer. I hate how much I love Edward's parents. I took my seat beside Edward and he grabbed my hand under the table. That wiped away my sense of embarrassment immediately.

"Let's pray, shall we?" Charlie asked only because Grandma Swan was here. In a couple of days, we'll have to go to church with her. I grabbed Charlie's hand on my other side and we prayed as if it was normal for us. We all dug into the gumbo, which I made spicy because I know Carlisle and Charlie like it spicy.

"Isabella, will you get me more water. This gumbo is trying on my taste buds," Grandma Swan said bluntly, holding out her glass regally. I stood up and did it quickly. When I got back, Grandma Swan was asking, "Where do you plan on going to college?"

"I am considering Dartmouth," Edward told her, having an answer ready. I handed Grandma Swan her water before taking my place at the table. She nodded dismissively at me as I passed.

"Do you plan on having children?" she asked.

"Grandmother!" I cried. She was over stepping certain rules.

"Bella, its fine. I do plan on having kids eventually, but not until I'm older and in a position that I could handle kids," Edward answered calmly, giving into Grandma Swan's questions. I loved him so much. Even when he's being interrogated by the reincarnated Spanish Inquisition, he kept rubbing his thumb over my hand calmingly.

"Do you plan on having a job that will let you support a family?" Grandma Swan inquired in her polite harshness.

"I plan on doing whatever it takes to support my family, Mrs. Swan," he said confidently.

"I would work too, Grandmother," I piped up, deciding it was time for me to speak. "I won't be a house wife."

"I worked from the home my whole life," she sniffed at me. I stifled a sigh, ready for this to be over.

"That made you happy, but I want to do the same share of the work and contribute to people. Are we ready for desert?" I asked, changing the subject away from our future marriage. Everyone nodded and I got up but Edward started to stand up too. I put a hand on his shoulder and he sank back into his seat. It would be too suspicious if we went into the kitchen together again. I scooped ice cream onto plates with brownies and set one in front of everyone before sitting back in my own seat.

"Carlisle, how is the hospital doing?" Mom asked, speaking for the first time since we sat down. The rest of dinner passed without any major interruptions from my grandmother and, at eight thirty, she retired to her room like she usually does at this time. The atmosphere lightened exponentially when the door slammed behind her.

"Can I go over to Edward's?" I asked quickly.

"That's fine with me, as long as you're back by ten," Mom allowed, knowing that I'd see him later anyway. "That is, as long as it's OK with Carlisle and Esme. You two are welcome to stay for coffee."

"We would love to stay for coffee, thank you. The kids are welcome to head over to our house, though," Esme smiled at Mom, the two of them in sync when it comes to Edward and I. The two of us nodded and started the short trek to Edward's. We walked in comfortable silence, our arms linked. When we reached his door, he opened the door and let me go first.

"So, what do you want to do?" Edward asked as we stood in the doorway. I smirked and stepped close to him, grabbing his shirt collar and pulling his face even closer. He started to breathe shallowly and he rested his hands on my hips.

"I want to play the Wii," I smiled at him sweetly before walking towards the TV room. I turned on the TV and started looking for the game with the yoga because I've never done that before.

"That wasn't very nice, love," Edward whispered in my ear, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind. I twisted my neck and kissed him softly. I pulled back after a couple of seconds and looked for all the different pieces I needed.

"Love, what are you doing?" Edward asked, confused, grabbing my wrist.

"I really want to play your Wii." And I did. I was pretty good at the tennis game because my cousins on Mom's side have it but they don't have the yoga.

"You are one very strange girl, Bella. And I think you're looking for this," he said, holding up the platform the players stand on.

"Thanks," I told him as I gave him a quick peck on the cheek. I set it up…well; I tried to help while Edward set it up for me. I was trying to do the tree thing, with my hands above my head while balancing on one leg. Needless to say, it wasn't working out so well for me.

"Bella, you're supposed to keep the red ball in the circle," Edward reminded me repeatedly, even though I didn't forget. He tried to steady me by putting his hands on my waist, but not even that helped my balance. Maybe because when he touched me I lost all concentration and had to start over again. I wobbled from side to side, eventually falling straight back into Edward.

"I'm sorry," I cried when my elbow hit him hard in the gut. He winced a bit but put on a strong front. Edward looked up into my eyes, making me lose my breath. He reached up the arm that wasn't around my waist and touched my cheek gently.

"I love you, Bella," he whispered. "Even when you fall on me and elbow my gut." He smiled and laughed gently.

"I love you too, especially when you let me fall on you and elbow you in the gut," I laughed lightly with him. I kissed him gently and he kept his hand on my cheek. I heard a board creak and glanced up, catching a bit of fabric brushing past the doorway and hearing faint whispers. I smiled into the kiss.

Carlisle and Esme are not the best adult supervision.

* * *

**AN: I know that took a long time, but I had All-Region this weekend which is like band boot camp. I'll try to update my other story, 'Amazing Catch', as soon as I can.**

**FUNFACT: I'm actually pessimistic when it comes to love. I want to find someone like the Edwards in my stories, but I doubt I will. I want to believe that everyone loves their spouse or boyfreind/girlfriend, but love is so multi-faceted that no one truly understands it. It's because of the mystery that makes it hard for me.**

**Thanks for reading and I like reviews, Emma**


	21. Chapter 21: Pregnant

Chapter Twenty-One: Pregnant

I smiled as Grandma Swan's driver took her away. That had to have been the longest week of my life. I hadn't gotten to spend time alone with Edward since the Wii incident. I had to go to church, which was just weird. Grandma Swan also found out about how close my window is to Edward's and made us switch rooms. I had to clean all of the dirt that's built up since I've moved in and sleep in an uncomfortable bed that's perfect for Grandma Swan.

"Bella, let's go eat some pizza on the couch," Mom called from the kitchen. She was hanging up the phone, having called for our pizza the second Grandma Swan was out of sight. I can't wait for everything to go back to normal and get my room back. OK, it's not about the room. It's all about the window. I lied again; it's about the man who climbs through the window.

"I hope you've ordered cheese and supreme," I teased, knowing that she always orders those for me. A couple hours of "Searching for the Holy Grail", Charlie, Mom, and I were stuffed full of junk that we'd been deprived of for a week and up to our eyeballs in false leads.

"I'm going to bed," Charlie groaned as he stood up, stretching his hands about his head. Mom followed him out and I turned off the TV and recycled the pizza boxes before walking up the stairs to my dark room. I opened the door and, not bothering to turn on the lights, flopped on the bed.

"Hello to you too, love," a muffled voice said from beneath me. I screamed and jumped right back off the bed. My eyes adjusted and I could see green eyes shining in the darkness.

"Was that really necessary?" I scolded, trying to catch my breath.

"Of course," he responded calmly with a 'no duh' tone of voice. "Don't just stand there, come join me."

"I have half a mind not to," I mumbled. I ran and catapulted myself at him as payback.

"You elbowed me in the stomach again," he groaned. I just laughed lightly and snuggled closer to Edward.

"I'm going to sleep," I murmured into his chest. He wrapped his arms around me tightly and started playing with my hair, twisting it around his fingers.

"What, no kiss?" he whined pitifully. I leaned up and kissed his cheek quickly.

"I really am tired," I explained. This past week had taken a lot out of me.

"OK, but you're making it up to me tomorrow. By the way, Mom wants me to invite you over for dinner tomorrow night," Edward said, seemingly consoled.

"I would've stayed anyway, but an invitation is always nice," I smirked. Within minutes, I was fast asleep against Edward's chest.

* * *

Edward and I were walking towards the Volvo when a voice called my name. I turned and saw tiny Alice waving her hands above her head.

"Hold on, I'll be right back," I told Edward before sprinting over to Alice and Jasper.

"Bella, you just have to spend the night tomorrow! Rose is coming and the only person missing will be you, so you have to come, OK?" She looked so happy and pitiful at the same time that the only thing I could do was nod.

"What time?" I sighed, sounding resigned. Alice squealed before Jasper could calm her down. She gave me the info, time and address, before I sprinted back to Edward.

"What was that about?" he asked as he put the Volvo in drive and turning the radio up. Ah, music.

"I've got a sleepover with Alice and Rose tomorrow," I said flatly. He winced a bit as he pulled out of the school parking lot and onto the main road.

"It'll be fine. They can't be all that bad," he tried to comfort me.

"They're going to torture me by doing my nails, hair, make-up, and boy talk," I explained to him in a tone of disbelief.

"I'm sorry, love. These are the times I love not being a girl," he commented. At my sharp glare, he said quickly, "I'll talk to them about being nicer to you."

"That's better," I smiled at him, sinking into my seat. "Thinking about it, this may turn out to be fun. I thought shopping would be horrible but I found myself having fun last time." By now, we were in his drive way. Edward took my bag, along with his own, and walked to his front door with me behind him.

"Mom, we're home," Edward called louder than normal. I smiled, thinking that maybe he's getting better at public speaking. My smile faded a bit when Esme didn't respond. I had a sense of déjà vu. "I'm sure she's fine," Edward said quietly, reading my mind.

"I know but I'm still going to check on her. You go upstairs, I'll meet you there," I instructed and waited until he was up the stairs before knocking on Carlisle and Esme's bedroom door. When I didn't get an answer, I cracked the door carefully and peeked in. I sighed when I caught sight of Esme sitting on the king size bed, looking at a laptop and listening to her iPod. I snuck up behind her and glanced at the screen.

"Esme, why are you looking at baby clothes on the internet?" I asked, startling her. Right now, I think I'm more startled than she is.

"Oh, hey Bella. What did you say?" she asked innocently, pretending she hadn't heard what I said even though I'm sure she had.

"Are you…pregnant?" I asked. I could tell by her face that I was right.

"Well, yes but don't tell Edward yet. I'm going to tell him this week, I promise," she begged, yet she managed to do it with class.

"Of course I won't tell him if you don't want to. I know it's none of my business but…how long have you known?" I inquired cautiously, knowing that it wasn't my place to pry.

"Bella, please don't be afraid to ask questions," she laughed at my caution. "And I've known for a couple weeks now. I'm nearly two months pregnant."

"Wait, what about what happened at the hospital? Will any of the meds you were given be a problem?" I was really worried about the baby, who was practically a brother or sister to me.

"Carlisle made sure they didn't. I hadn't told him yet but they found out because of the tests they did to check for complications with other medications they might have given me. Once my doctors knew, they were careful not to give me anything dangerous," she explained, smiling at my concern.

"So, everything is fine?" I pushed, double-checking. When Esme smiled wider and nodded, I tackled her back onto the bed in a hug. "I am so excited!! I get a sibling and I love kids and this is amazing and Edward will be so excited when he finds out and this is great!" I tried not to yell and yet get how happy I was about this pregnancy across.

"Bella, calm down or Edward is going to come down stairs," she shushed me half-heartedly but I could tell she is just as excited as I was.

"Edward said you had been looking at baby names before everything happened. What names are you thinking about?" I fired yet another question at her.

"Well, I like Aiden Jake for a boy and Elizabeth Marie, but we'd call her Lizzi. Elizabeth is my mother's name and I want the baby to have a piece of you in her, so I used your middle name." She stopped talking when my eyes filled with tears and started to slip across my cheeks. "Do you not want me to use your name?" she asked, concerned.

"No, I love those names. I just…am so touched that you want to have part of me in your daughter," I managed, more tears slipping out. She pulled me into a hug, similar to the ones Mom gives me.

"You are a daughter to me Bella," she whispered. I love this woman.

"I can't believe I've got two amazing mothers," I muttered. "Just my luck that I've got extra couple eyes on me too." She laughed loudly just as we heard a knock on the door.

"Mom, can I have Bella back?" he said, cracking the door open and smiling through the opening. I smiled widely when I saw him and got up quickly.

"I loved talking to you, Esme," I winked at her. She winked back and waved, putting her earphones back in her ears.

"What was that wink about?" Edward asked as I opened the door to his room.

"That's for Esme and me to know, and for you to find out," I teased as I flicked his nose lightly. Edward sat at one end of the couch and I rested my head on his lap, stretching my legs out on the rest of the couch.

"Come on, please tell me." Why couldn't Esme have told him when he walked in? OK, I'm not mad at Esme. I'm mad at myself for figuring it out because now I have to hide it.

"I can't, I promised your mother. Please don't beg," I pleaded, knowing how hard it is to resist when he begs.

"Esme wouldn't mind. It'll just take a few words," he whispered, his breath blowing across my face and making me dizzy. He leaned in so that his face was inches from mine. He rubbed his thumb across my bottom lip. "Please? I love you," he breathed.

"Nope…I promised," I breathed back. From the depths of my jumbled mind, the idea to fight fire with fire bubbled to the top. I propped myself up on my elbows, pushing my body closer to his. I kissed him slowly, avoiding his attempts at deepening the kiss. I pulled back and kissed him softly on the cheek.

"I'm not telling you anything about your mother," I whispered seductively in his ear before kissing his cheek again.

"That's not fair," he tried to argue but he was obviously breathless.

All's fair in love and war, dear.

* * *

**AN: Wasn't that a mean title? Sorry, it was too good to resist. BELLA IS NOT PREGNANT! Just thought I'd clear that up.**

**FUNFACT: I like the idea of chivalry if it isn't used sarcastically and just because we're 'weak' and need a man to open a door. If it's done lovingly and respectfully, it's fine. I don't like the whole 'women are weaker and need a man's help to get into a car.' They should be chivalrous because they love us, not because we can't do it without them.**

**Thanks for reading and I like reviews, Emma**


	22. Epilogue: Elizabeth Marie Cullen

Epilogue: Elizabeth Marie Cullen

_April the next semester:_

"WHAT?! Did she not want us there?" I screamed at the intercom. A few seconds earlier, the secretary had come over the intercom. _"May I see Edward Cullen and Isabella Swan? Esme Cullen just had a baby and they're needed at the hospital."_

_"Isabella, calm down," _the secretary spoke again. Edward and I both hopped out of our seats and were out the door in two seconds flat.

"Hurry up, Edward!" I yelled at him as we broke into a full out sprint in the parking lot. It didn't matter that he was a couple yards in front of me, yelling made me feel in control. He slammed the car into reverse as I flung my door closed.

"I've got a sibling," Edward breathed, stunned. He was driving twenty MPH over the speed limit and he still managed to be sentimental.

"Be sappy later. Now, just drive," I snapped. I was so happy I was grumpy. I wanted to get there so that I can see my sibling and cry over how happy I am/how beautiful the baby is. Edward sighed loudly and pulled into a parking spot in front of a nurse in a Honda Accord. We sprinted into the main building and Edward barely beat me to the reception desk.

"We're looking for the child of Esme and Carlisle Cullen," Edward told the nurse quickly. After getting directions we were sprinting again.

"I can't wait to see my sister," I managed as the door came into sight.

"I can't wait to see my brother," Edward insisted. Esme didn't want to know the sex of the baby, which meant Edward and I had been fighting over it since he found out Esme was pregnant. The worst fight was last week on Edward's eighteenth birthday, but we ended up laughing about it. I threw open the door and saw Esme lying in a bed with Carlisle standing over her. In her arms was a pink bundle.

"I told you it was going to be a girl!" I bragged. It was the first thing I could think of. Edward, however, said something much more relevant.

"How old is she?" he asked. Both of us were standing over Esme, though the blankets blocked the child's face.

"An hour. We waited to call you because we wanted to make sure Lizzi was fine first," Carlisle explained, staring down at the face buried in the blankets.

"Elizabeth Marie Cullen," Esme whispered staring down at her new born child like her husband. After several seconds, she looked up and asked me, "Do you want to hold her? She was named for you, after all."

"Of course," I whispered, realizing how important this is. I hesitated slightly before picking Lizzi up slowly. I made sure I was cradling her properly before taking a good look at her. She was blinking her eyes and I could tell they were the same green as Edward's. From the soft tufts of hair on her head, I know she got Esme's dark, smooth hair. The structure of her face is Carlisle all the way. They had the same nose, chin, and lip. She got the best genes in the world.

She is absolutely beautiful.

"She weighs six lbs. eleven oz. and is twenty in. long, born at eleven twenty-three," Esme told me softly as I kept staring at Lizzi. I glanced up for a second when Edward wrapped his arms around my waist, putting Lizzi in between the two of us. He pulled me as close as he could while making sure not to crush the baby; both of us had our eyes glued to the little girl in my arms.

"My sister, Lizzi," Edward tried out softly. I heard a flash go off and glanced up to see Carlisle taking our picture. Edward was so absorbed he didn't notice. A smile spread across his face and, seeing it, I started to smile too.

"My three children," I heard Esme say softly. I looked up again to see Carlisle showing Esme the picture on his camera. She saw me watching and we looked at each other for a solid ten seconds as our eyes teared up. "Oh, come here," she cried and scooted over, making a space for me. I took it, lying next to her. I shifted Lizzi over so my arm was supporting her head and Esme was supporting her legs.

"I've got a sister," I said, louder than anything else that's been said in this room. Something about a new born baby makes you want to be quiet. Maybe that's because you know that it's the last quiet moment you'll get for a while. Carlisle wrapped his arm around Esme while Edward did the same to me. All of our heads, except for Lizzi's, snapped up as the door opened.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry," a young nurse said. "I was passing by and I saw all of you and…I was wondering if I could take a picture of the four of you. You are all so beautiful, happy, and in love. I'm taking a photography class and this would be perfect, if you don't mind," she explained quickly, staring down at the floor with a camera around her neck.

"Of course you can, we don't mind at all," Esme smiled widely at her. She smiled back shyly and told us to pretend like she wasn't there. So we did and hoped that she got what she wanted. Another two magical hours later, Edward and I left Esme and Carlisle to their lovey-dovey 'we've got a daughter' stuff.

"We're going to have one hell of a senior year," I realized as Edward pulled into the driveway.

"It will also be an interesting one," Edward replied back as we kicked our shoes off at the door.

"We will have the best stories to tell," I said as Edward sat on the couch and I sat on his lap. We stayed like that; me snuggled into his chest, and his arms around my waist for an indefinite amount of time. I was thinking about Lizzi and what she'll grow up to be like. I assume Edward was too.

"She feels like ours, in a way," Edward commented, breaking the silence. I looked up at him, my eyebrows creased in confusion. "Lizzi is theirs, but we will watch her grow up and mentor her as well. For some reason, I feel like she's ours," he explained. I understood and love how emotional he is over a little sister.

"If she was ours, I'd have horrible stretch marks," I joked, patting my stomach playfully. I got a laugh out of Edward. Before his face darkened, that is. "What's wrong?" I asked, worried.

"If any boy tries to touch her, I will make sure that they won't have hands to try it again," he practically growled, his gorgeous face in a scowl.

"Edward, she's only four hours old. Worry about it when the time comes," I soothed him, trying to hold back my snort of laughter. "And now you know how Charlie felt," I added. I watched Edward's face morph to a look of dawning horror.

"I'm the bad guy," he said slowly. I couldn't help it anymore; I laughed loudly. Edward gave me a look that said 'this is not funny.'

"I'm sorry, but you're going to have to realize that you want her to meet someone and be happy. Do you want her to have what we have? What Carlisle and Esme have? If so, you're going to have to let a guy hold her hand every now and then," I stressed, trying to make him see the reason in what I'm saying.

"Yeah, but they're not going to stop at holding hands. We don't and now I understand how hard that must be for Charlie." I smiled widely and tested just how bad he felt by twisting around and kissing him, my arms looping around his neck. He deepened the kiss quickly, without hesitating. He doesn't feel all that bad after all.

* * *

**AN: I know, it's over!! THERE WILL BE A SEQUEL!!!!! I say that loudly. I also say this, THERE WON'T BE A SEQUEL UNTIL I FINISH 'AMAZING CATCH'!!!! So, you young grasshoppers must learn patience. The sequel will be about their senior year and helping Esme with Lizzi.**

**FUNFACT: My ringtone is Queen and starts out 'I see a little sillouhette of a man'. **

**SNEAKPEAK INTO THE SEQUEL:**

**_We were awakened by the sound of the phone ringing. I glanced at the clock and saw that it was only ten at night. Edward sat up and answered groggily._**

**_"Hello?" I couldn't hear what the person on the other end was saying, but I could see from Edward's face that it was serious._**

**_"Mom, calm down. Tell me what it is and I can help. Is Lizzi OK?" he asked. I held my breath as I watched Edward's face morph into shock._**

**_"OK, we'll be right there. Don't worry Mom, everything will be fine. I promise," Edward reassured her as he hung up._**

**_"Edward, tell me what's wrong," I demanded as he got up and started towards the bathroom. He turned back to stare at me, his eyes empty again._**

**_"Carlisle was killed instantly in a car accident on his way home alone." I stared back at him, not knowing what to believe._**

**I know, that was evil. Thanks to everyone who stuck with the story through its rough parts. I'd love to know what you guys think of the ending. Yours, Emma**

**P.S. If you don't like typos, then thank Music ADD for being an amazing and phenomenal unofficial beta!!**


	23. SEQUEL!

**I've realized that I write a lot better when I've got two stories going at the same time. SO…..**

**I'm putting up the sequel!!!! YAY!! **

**It's called 'Lizzi'. Original, I know. Please check it out and review.**

**SUMMARY: As if senior year is easy, Bella and Edward also have to help raise Edward's sister, Lizzi. Bella, Esme, Edward, and Lizzi will have to grow closer as a family and make it through the year ahead together. **


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